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FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

AND EXPLORERS OF AMERICA 



FAMOUS LEADERS SERIES 

BY 
CHARLES H. L. JOHNSTON 

Each one volume. Inr&e 12mo. Illustrated. 
$1.50 

FAMOUS CAVALRY LEADERS 
FAMOUS INDIAN CHIEFS 
FAMOUS SCOUTS 
FAMOUS PRIVATEERSMEN 
FAMOUS FRONTIERSMEN 
FAMOUS DISCOVERERS ond 
EXPLORERS of AMERICA 

9 

THE PAGE COMPANY 

53 Beacon Street, Boston. Mass. 




AMKKKio VKSincii (siW pdf/r 13) 



FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

and Explorers of America 

Their voyages, batdes, and hardships in traversing 

and conquering the unknown territories 

of a new world 



By 
CHARLES H. L. JOHNSTON 

Author of "Famous Scouts," "Famous Indian Chiefs, 
"Famous Cavalry Leaders," "Famous Frontiersmen," 
"Famous Prlvateersmen , " etc. 



Illustrated 




BOSTON. > THE PAGE 

COMPANY. ^ MDCCCCXVII 



Elioi 
J73 



Copyright, 1917 

By The Page Company 

All rights reserved 



First Impression, September, 191T 




©C1,A477134 



Dedicated 

2Ia tl|f CSrfat ?8rotlifrlio05 of tlje (EUrgg 

jy/io, t^i^/t self-sacrifice, devotion, and lack 

of personal profit, 

have consecrated their lives to 

the education and development of the youths 

of all English speahi/ng countries. 



PREFACE 

My Dear Boys: 

It lias seemed fitting to include in the Famous 
Leaders Sebies this volume upon the discoverers and 
explorers, not only of North America, but also of 
Central and South America. 

It has been impossible to include them all in a vol- 
xune of this character ; but I have selected the most im- 
portant, and have omitted such men as Sebastian Cabot, 
Jacques Cartier, Sir Francis Drake, Baffin, Verendr)^e, 
Robert Gray, Lewis and Clark, Pike, Franklin, Fre- 
mont, and many others. 

This is no new subject. The lives and histories of 
these discoverers have been written by many another; 
but I have endeavored to bring before you a series of 
pictures of some of the most noted of these men of 
daring and grim determination, and, if I have succeeded 
in painting the canvas with colors which are agreeable, 
then, my dear boys, I shall feel that the moments oc- 
cupied in the preparation of these pages have been w^ell 
spent. 

Believe me, 

Yours very affectionately, 
Ciiael.es II. L, Johnston. 
Chevy Chase, Maryland. 

August, 1917. 



THE VOICE 

A voice came from the westward, it whispered a mes- 
sage clear. 

And the dripping fog banks parted as the clarion tones 
drew near; 

It spoke of shores untrodden, and it sang of mountains 
bold. 

Of shimmering sands in distant lands which were cov- 
ered with glittering gold. 

It sang of hemlock forests, where the moose roamed, 
and the bear. 

Where the eider bred near the cascade's head, and the 
lucivee had his lair. 

It praised the rushing water falls, it told of the salmon 
red. 

Who swam in the spuming ripples by the rushing river's 
head. 

It chanted its praise of the languorous days which lay 
'nsath the shimmering sun. 

Of the birch canoe and the Indian, too, who trapped in 
the forests dun. 

Yea, it told of the bars of silver, and it whispered of 
emeralds green. 

Of topaz, sapphire, and amethyst, which shone with a 
dazzling sheen. 



THE VOICE 

Of warriors red with feathered head, of buffalo, puma, 

and deer. 
Of the coral strand in a palm-tree land, and of dizzying/ 

mountains sheer. 
And the voice grew louder and louder, and it fell upon 

listening ears. 
Of the men who had heard strange music ivhich was 

moistened with women's tears. 
Of the men who loved to wander, of the souls who cared 

to roam. 
Whose bed was the hemlock's branches, who rejoiced 

in the forest's gloom. 
Leif the Lucky, Magellan, deLeon and Cortes bold, 
C artier, Drake, and Franklin; Pizarro and Baffin, old; 
Shackleton, Hudson, Roosevelt; brave Peary and gay 

Cham plain, 
Fremont, Lewis, Balboa; Verendrye, and the Cabots 

twain; 
'Twos the voice thai called them onward, 'twas the voice 

that is calling still. 
And the voice will call 'till the end of it all, 

and the voice has a conquefiinq will. 



CONTENTS 

PAOE 

Preface vii 

The Voice ix 

Leif Ericson 3 

Christopher Columbus 17 

Amerigo Vespucci 45 

Juan Ponce de Leon 63 

Vasco Nunez de Balboa 87 

Hernando Cortes 109 

Ferdinand Magellan ......... 187 

Giovanni Verrazano ....... ^., . . 205 

Francisco Pizarro 219 

Hernando de Soto 251 

Samuel de Champlain 273 

Henry Hudson 305 

Pierre Esprit Radisson 339 

Father Marquette 363 

Robert de La Salle 385 

Robert Edwin Peary . . . . . . j. . .411 

Epilogue 429 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 



PAGE 



Amerigo Vespucci (See page 45) . . . Frontispiece *^ 

Leif Ericson . . 8 "^ 

The Landing of Columbus 28 '^ 

Amerigo Vespucci off the coast of Venezuela . . . 481/^ 
Juan Ponce de Leon at the Fountain of Youth . . . So"^ 
Balboa taking possession of the Pacific Ocean in the name 

of the King of Spain ....... 97 -^ 

Capture by Cortes of the City of Mexico . . . . 178 -^ 

The Death of Magellan . 200^ 

Giovanni Verrazano . 208 f 

Execution of the Inca of Peru 245 v'''^ 

De Soto in the Florida Wilderness ..... 256 ^ 

Champlain in the Indian Battle ...... 285*'" 

Henry Hudson in New York Harbor ..... 317 '^ 

Marquette and Joliet discovering the Mississippi River . 369 ^ 

La Salle at the mouth of the Mississippi River . . . 397 ''^ 

y' 

Robert Edwin Peary ......... 41J ^-^ 



LEIF ERICSON: 

THE FIRST EUROPEAN TO EXPLORE, AND 
SETTLE IN, AMERICA. 



" From Greenland's icy mountains; from Iceland's 

rocky shore. 
We sailed the ship which forged ahead and ruddy 

oarsmen bore; 
We found the wild grape growing; we scoured the 

river's bed. 
And chased the moose whose horns were broad, whose 

blood was rich and red. 
Our axes felled the wild-wood, our spears the ^Jcrael- 

ings slew. 
We sank their round skin-barges as the cutting North 

Winds blew. 
Over the wild waves rolling, back to the fiords of home, 
We safely came to anchor, — but we'll never cease to 

roam," 

Saga of the Vikings, 1000 a. d. 



FAMOUS DISCOVERERS AND 
EXPLORERS OF AMERICA. 



LEIF ERICSON: 

THE FIEST EUROPEAN TO EXPLORE, AND 
SETTLE IN, AMERICA. 

ON the shore of a great fiord, or estuary of the 
sea, in the far northern country of Green- 
land, stood a little boy. He was sturdy-limbed, 
blue-eyed, flaxen-haired, and he was looking out across 
the water at a great high-prowed Viking ship which 
lay bobbing upon the waves. 

He stood there thinking, — thinking, until, as he 
gazed enraptured upon the scene before him, a tall, 
bearded Norwegian came up behind him. He smiled 
upon the little boy, and, laying his hand upon his head, 
said: 

" Little one, what are you dreaming about ? " 

The youthful Norwegian looked around and also 
smiled. 

" Good Lothair," he answered, " I am thinking of 
the time when I shall be able to sail far to the west- 
ward, with the older Vikings, and can have adventures 
of mine own." 

The other laughed. 



4 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

" Ah, ha, that time will not be far distant," said 
he, benignly. " You will wax tough and sinewy in 
this bracing air and by sailing in these blue fiords. 
And then, some day, one of the Vikings will want a 
stout fellow to man an oar. He will call upon Leif, 
little Leif. And I'll warrant that little Leif will then 
be ready." 

" I will be." 

"And would you go far to the westward, to the 
land of the setting sun ? " 

" Even so." 

" And would you be willing to risk life and limb 
amidst ice and snow ? " 

" I'd be glad to do it." 

Lothair laughed loud and long. 

" You are a true Viking, my boy. You are, indeed, 
one of those whom Thor has smiled upon and whom the 
Valkyrias would love to assist in battle. Keep up your 
spirit, and, some day, you may be famous, — who 
knows ? " 

So saying he walked away, still laughing softly to 
himself. 

And the little boy still kept on thinking, thinking, 
and looking out upon the great, blue sea which seemed 
to beckon to him, to nod to him, and to sigh : " Come 
on I Come on I I have marvelous things to reveal to 
you, little boy." 

The youthful Viking turned around, went back to 
his home, and kept on working and sailing, and fishing, 
and playing, until a time came when he had waxed 
great in both strength and in stature, and, as he looked 



LEIF ERICSON 5 

at himself in the polished surface of his shield he said: 
" Ah ! Now, indeed, I am a true Viking. 1 am ready 
for great things." 

This little boy was the son of Eric the Hod, a strong 
man, and a bad man, also. Eric's father lived in Ice- 
land, whither he had been forced to fly from Nor- 
way, for he had killed a man there and he would him- 
self have been killed, had he not jumped into a boat, 
rowed to a Viking ship, and sailed to the westward. 
And Eric the Eed seems to have inherited the traits of 
his father, for he, too, killed another. He had lent 
some of his furniture to a neighbor who would not re- 
store it. Eric, therefore, carried oif his goods and the 
other pursued him. They met, and hot words passed ; 
so they had a struggle and Eric killed the fellow. He 
was thus made an outlaw, so he went sailing away to 
find some place where he could live in peace, far from 
his brother Vikings. He found a land, where he set- 
tled, — and called it Greenland, for, said he, " other 
Vikings will come here and settle, also, if I give this 
place a good name." 

Eric the Red, had two children, of whom one was 
called Thorstein, and the other, Leif. The first de- 
veloped into a thin youth with black hair and a sal- 
low complexion, but the second was rosy-cheeked, fair- 
haired, blue-eyed, and sturdy-limbed. He was, in fact, 
the little boy to whom Lothair spoke as he stood upon 
the banks of the fiord, gazing far into the distance, 
determined, some day, to sail towards the West where 
he was certain that adventure and treasure, too, per- 
haps, were waiting for him. 



6 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

One of the men who accompanied Eric, the murderer, 
to Greenland was named Ilorjulf. This bold and dar- 
ing adventurer had a son named Bjami, who roved the 
seas over, in search of adventure, for many, many years. 
Finally, in 986, he came home to Iceland in order to 
drink tho Yuletide ale with his father. Finding that 
his parent had gone away, he weighed anchor and 
started after him to Greenland, but he encountered 
foggy weather, and thus sailed for many days by guess 
work, without seeing either the sun or the stars. When, 
at length, he sighted land, it was a shore without moun- 
tains. He saw, through the misty murk, only a small 
height covered with dense woods. So, without stop- 
ping in order to make explorations, he turned his 
prow to the north and kept on. He knew that this 
was not Greenland, and, so we may think it strange 
that he did not stop to examine the nigged coast- 
line. 

The sky was now fair and a brisk breeze was astern, 
so, after scudding along for nine or ten days, Bjami 
saw the icy crags of Greenland looming up before him, 
and, after some further searching, found his way to 
his father's house. He had more than once sighted 
a heavily timbered shore-line, to the west, while steer- 
ing for home, and, when he told of it, great curiosity 
was excited amongst the Norsemen. 

Little Leif had now grown to be a man of size and 
strength. He had made many a jouniey to Norway, 
and, when there, in the year 098, found that Roman 
missionary priests were preaching up and down the 
land, and had converted the King, Olaf Tryggbesson, 



LEIF ERICSON 7 

who had formerly worshiped the Gods Thor and Odin. 
Leif, himself, became a Christian and was baptized, 
so, when he returned to Greenland, he took several 
priests with him, who converted many of the people. 
Old Eric the Ked, however, preferred to worship in the 
way of his fathers, and continued to believe in the 
mystical Valhalla, or hall of departed spirits, where the 
dead Vikings were supposed to drink huge cups of ale 
while feasting with their gods. 

Upon a bright, warm day in the year 1000 a. d., 
a great Viking ship lay calmly upon the waters of the 
bay before the town of Bratthalid in Greenland, and on 
shore all was bustle and confusion. Leif Ericson, in 
fact, had determined to sail far to the westward, even 
as he had dreamed of doing when a little boy ; and so, 
with thirty staunch adventurers, he was preparing to 
load his ship with sufficient provisions to last for the 
journey to that strange country of which Bjami had 
brought news. It took several weeks to gather pro- 
visions and men, but at length everything was ready. 
The sail was hoisted, the great oaken oars were dipped 
into the water, and the sharp bow of the Viking ship 
was turned toward the open sea. " Huzzah 1 Huz- 
zah ! " shouted the Norsemen. " Huzzah ! " 

The Viking ship, which had a huge dragon's head at 
the prow, was such a tiny affair, when compared with 
the massive ocean liners of to-day, that one can well 
imagine how she must have been tossed about by the 
great, surging waves ; but she kept on and on, ever steer- 
ing westward, until a land was discovered which seemed 
to be filled with flat stones, so they called it Helluland, 



8 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

or flat-stone land. This was the Newfoundland of our 
maps, to-day. 

Leaving this behind them, the Vikings kept on steer- 
ing southward and westward, until they saw a low- 
lying and heavily wooded shore. This was Nova 
Scotia, and they coasted along it, for many days, oc- 
casionally coming to anchor in one of the deep bays, 
and heaving overboard their fishing lines, so as to catch 
some of the many fish which seemed to abound in these 
waters. 

They sailed on towards the south, and at last reached 
a place where a beautiful river flowed through a sort 
of an inland lake into the sea. Many islands were 
near the mouth of this stream, and, as salmon seemed 
to abound in the waters of this blue and clear-flowing 
estuary of the Atlantic, Leif decided that this was a 
good place in which to spend the winter. So down 
went the anchor, the Viking ship was moored near the 
shore, and the men scrambled to the beach in order to 
erect huts in which to spend the cold season. Thus 
the dream of the little boy, as he had stood upon the 
shore of Greenland, years before, had come true, 
and Leif had reached a new world, to which he 
had been led by his daring and his love of adven- 
ture. 

You see, that, although it was long supposed that 
Columbus was the first white man from Europe to ever 
set his foot upon, the shore of America, such is not the 
case. 

The real discoverer of America, of whom we have 
any definite record, was Bjarni, the son of Herjulf, 




LEIF ERICSON 

(I mm thr -I,,!,,,- „t Boston. Mass.) 



LEIF ERICSON 9 

who, in the midst of fog and murk, coasted along the 
shore of Nova Scotia in 986 a. d. 

And the first European to make a settlement upon 
the shores of the new world was Leif Ericson, who 
sailed into that blue, salmon-filled river which flows 
" through a lake into the sea." So, if you look along 
the coast of New England, and try to find a river which 
answers this description, you will, I think, find but one. 
This is the river Charles, which, emptying into the 
Charles Eiver Basin — a huge lake, if you wish — 
flows into the blue Atlantic. And, if you search the 
shore upon the Cambridge side near the hospital, you 
will find, to-day, the cellars of four houses, — the houses, 
no doubt, which Leif and his men erected in the year 
1000 A. D. 

The Vikings built their huts, caught many salmon, 
and journeyed inland, where they found a profusion 
of wild grapes, so many, in fact, that they dried a great 
mass of them, loaded them into the hold, and called 
this land Vinla^d, the Good. They also found a race 
of people living in this country, who were ferocious in 
aspect, with ugly hair, big eyes, and broad cheeks. 
They were clad in the skins of the beaver, the lynx and 
the fox, and their weapons were bows and arrows, 
slings, and stone hatchets. As they screeched dismally 
when about to attack in battle, the Vikings called them 
Skraelings, or Screechers. It is apparent that the 
Skraelings were more like the Esquimaux, than like the 
Indians found by Columbus. 

The Vikings spent a peaceful winter in Vinland and 
had no difiSculty with the Skraelings, who left them 



10 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

alone. The Norsemen felled a great many trees and 
loaded their ship with lumber, with dried fish and 
grapes. Spring at last came and the ice and snow 
melted in the deep forests, the gray geese began to fly 
northward, and the robins chanted a melodious wel- 
come from the budding thickets. The followers of Leif 
deserted their huts, clambered aboard their low-lying 
vessel, and, singing a song of thanksgiving, turned her 
prow towards the blue Atlantic. They coasted past 
the islands at the harbor-mouth, and, driven by a stout 
breeze, were soon careening over the waves upon their 
journey to Greenland. 

But adventures were not entirely over, for, upon the 
way home, a dark spot appeared upon the horizon, and, 
upon sailing up to it, Leif and his seamen discovered 
a boat-load of sailors. These poor fellows had been 
out in a large vessel, but she had foundered, and had 
gone to the bottom in a squall. The castaways were 
rescued, were taken aboard the home-going Viking 
ship, and were carried along to Bratthalid, where Leif 
and his followers received a royal welcome, and great 
interest was taken in the story of their adventures. 
Leif was christened Leif the Lucky, and by that name 
he was to be known forever afterwards. 

The daring navigator never again sailed to the pine- 
clad coast of Vinland, but other Norsemen made the 
journey and some left their bones to bleach upon the 
shores of New England. Thus in 1002, when Eric 
the Red died, and Leif the Lucky succeeded to his 
Earldom, Thorstein (Leif's brother) decided to explore 
the new-found country. So, with thirty or more men. 



LEIF ERICSON 11 

he sailed to the westward, found the huts which the 
first adventurers had erected, and had the pleasure of 
spending the winter there. These voyagers stayed here 
for several years, for, in the Spring of 1004, while some 
of the party were exploring, the ship was driven ashore 
in a storm, near a ness, or cape. They put a new keel 
into their damaged vessel and stuck the old one into 
the sand, calling the place Kjalarness, or Keel Cape. 
The cape was undoubtedly near the end of Cape Cod. 

Thorstein was subsequently slain in a battle with the 
Skraelings, but his men returned to Greenland, bring- 
ing lumber, dried fish, and many tales of this won- 
derful country; so that other Vikings longed to go and 
explore. Thus, in the summer of 1011, two ships set 
sail for Vinlaud, one with Leif's brother and sister, 
Thorwald and Freydis, and a crew of thirty men; the 
other with two brothers, Helgi and Finnibogi, and a 
crew of thirty-five. There were also a number of 
women. 

Helgi and Finnibogi were the first to arrive at the 
huts which Leif had constructed, and had taken pos- 
session of them, when Freydis, arriving soon after- 
wards, ordered them to leave. Bad blood arose, and 
Freydis one day complained that Helgi had given her 
evil words and had struck her. She told Thorwald that 
he should avenge this insult, and taunted him so mer- 
cilessly, that, unable to bear her jeering words any 
longer, he was aroused to a deed of blood. Surrounded 
by his followers, he made a night attack upon the huts 
of Helgi and Finnibogi, seized and bound all the oc- 
cupants, and killed them with cold steel. The peace- 



12 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

ful shores of the river Charles witnessed such a mur- 
der as has never occurred again. 

In 1012 the survivors sailed for Greenland in the 
vessel of the murdered brothers, which was the larger 
of the two. The evil woman, Freydis, who had caused 
all this trouble, pretended that the other party had 
been left in Vinland, and that ships had merely been 
exchanged. She threatened her men, that, if any told 
on her, they would be murdered, but words were let fall 
which came to the ears of Leif the Lucky. Three of 
those who had just returned were put to the torture, 
until they told the whole story of murder and death 
in the peaceful country of Vinland. 

Leif was greatly affected by the news, but said with 
great show of magnanimity : " I have no heart to pun- 
ish my wicked sister Freydis as she deserves. But this 
I do say to Freydis and Thorwald, — that their pos- 
terity will never thrive." 

" And " — says an old Viking — " so it went that no 
one thought anything but evil of them from that time 
on." 

This is the last that we hear of Leif the Lucky. 
That little rosy-cheeked boy, who dreamed that one 
day he would be a great adventurer, had accomplished 
his purpose. He had found a new country, he had 
lived to see it explored by other Vikings, and he had 
opened the eyes of Europeans to the fact that, far away 
there was a land which was richer in furs and in tim- 
ber than anything which they had about them. 

The citizens of Boston, Massachusetts, have erected 
a bronze statue to thig navigator, upon Commonwealth 



LEIF ERICSON 13 

Avenue; where, with hand shading hig keen eyes, the 
staunch Norwegian is going out upon the Charles 
Kiver ; — that river, upon the banks of which in the 
year 1000 a. d., he and his followers spent a peaceful 
winter in the land of the Skraelings, the beaver, the 
bear, and the pink-fleshed salmon. Skoal, then, to Leif 
the Lucky! And remember that it was he, and not 
Columbus, who first trod upon the shores of America 
as an adventurer from the European world. 



VINLAOT) 

'Neath the scent of the green hemlock forests, near the 

sands of the storm-driven sea, 
Lies a land which is good, filled with balsamy wood, 

and a voice there is calling to me ; 
There the grapes grow in reddening clusters, there the 

salmon jump clear of the falls. 
And in crystalline splendor, the moon, in November, 

shines bright, as the lynx caterwauls. 
From Moosehead the wild loon is screaming, from 

Rangely the trout jumps at play; 
And from KathadjTi's bold peak, comes the osprey's 

fierce shriek, while the brown bear creeps near 

to its prey. 
Oh ! that is the land for the Vikings ; yea, that is the 

kingdom of rest; 
In the rude deer-skin boats, the warrior gloats, as the 

strangers press on to the West. 
There is thunder for Thor and for Odin ; there is silver 

for Tyr and Broge, 
In Jotunheim's palace, there is envy and malice; but 

nothing but love far away : 
Come, Vikings, hoist up your rude anchors! Come, 

seamen, row hard, as ye should ! 

And steer to the West, where there's peace and there's 

rest; steer straightway to Vinland the Good. 
14 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS: 

KE-DISCOVERER OF AMERICA, WHO GAVE 
A NEW CONTINENT TO THE WORLD. 

(1436-1506) 



Great man, whose courage led you o'er 

The ocean's unknown length, 

A thousand voices thankfully 

Proclaim your power and strength. 

The treasures of the tropic isles. 

You found, but failed to gain. 

The honor that was due, was lost. 

You saw your subjects slain. 

Your plans for empire sailed away. 

Undone by other wills; 

And left but glorious memories. 

Which every seaman thrills. 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS: 

KE-DISCOVEEER OF AMERICA, WHO GAVE 
A NEW CONTINENT TO THE WORLD. 

(1436-1506) 

THE good and genial friar Juan Perez was work- 
ing, one day, in front of the convent of La 
Rabida, which had been dedicated to Santa 
Maria de Rabida, near the pleasant city of Palos, in 
Spain. It was a lonely place, built upon beetling cliffs 
which overhung the blue ocean. The friar, with hia 
brown cassock tucked up around his fat legs, was busily 
engaged in hoeing some beans, when he saw a man 
standing at the little wicket gate which was between 
himself and the roadway. The man was thin, care- 
worn, and cadaverous-looking. His hair was quite 
gray and he held a small boy by the hand. 

" Kind priest," said he, " I am faint with hunger." 
The good friar dropped his hoe and stood there smil- 
ing ; for he had a warm heart, and the little boy, whom 
the stranger held by the hand, was very wistful. 

" In God's name, my poor fellow," said Juan Perez, 
" come into the convent with me, and I will give you all 
that you wish, for I see that you are faint with hunger. 

And the little boy is surely very ill." 

17 



18 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

So the white-haired man and the little boy went into 
the convent of Santa Maria de Rabida, and there the 
priest fell into a long conversation with this traveler. 
He found out that the wanderer was named Christopher 
Columbus and that he had been bom in Genoa, in Italy. 
The little boy was his son, Ferdinand. 

The priest was a man of great learning and had been 
confessor to the Queen of Spain. He soon perceived 
that this Christopher Columbus was a man of consider- 
able learning, also, and found out that he had been a 
sailor ever since he had been a boy of fourteen. 
Charmed and delighted with the conversation of this 
penniless mariner, he asked him to remain as a guest 
at the convent, for he saw that, within the lean body of 
this white-haired sailor, burned a spirit of adventure 
which was like a beacon light. 

" Had I the money, the ships, and the men," said 
Columbus, " I could discover a new country lying far 
to the west. But, you see, I am a pauper." 

" Yes," replied the good priest. " But I have pow- 
erful friends who have both money and ships. These 
will doubtless help you in your contemplated voyage. 
Stay with me for a few days. I will call them hither, 
so that you can discuss this matter with them." 

Columbus was glad to have this prelate listen to his 
schemes for sailing far to the westward, for he had 
been endeavoring, for a long time, to get some one to 
give him the necessary financial assistance, so that he 
could fit out ships both with provisions and with men. 
In a day or two a physician arrived. He was a learned 
fellow, and his name was Garcia Fernandez. He was 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 19 

accompanied by a wealthy navigator, called Martin 
Alonzo Pinzon, who listened to the schemes of Colum- 
bus with great enthusiasm. 

" I, myself, will lend you money for this voyage 
westward," said he. " And I will go in person upon 
this hazardous undertaking." 

The good priest, Juan Perez, had become most en- 
thusiastic over the scheme. 

" Wait until I write to our gracious Queen Isabella," 
said he. " She, I know, will aid you in your con- 
templated journey. Bo of good cheer, for she is the 
best of sovereigns, and cannot allow a Frenchman to 
have the honor of any discoveries in the West." 

Christopher Columbus was quite willing to have this 
done, for he was sure that, could he but gain access 
to the ear of the great Queen, she, herself would see the 
righteousness of his cause and aid and abet in that 
■which filled him with zeal and enthusiasm. So he 
waited patiently at the convent while a letter was dis- 
patched to the kind-hearted Isabella, carried to the 
court by one Sebastian Eodriguez, a pilot of Lepe, 
and a man of considerable prominence. The Queen 
was at the military camp of Santa Fe, where she was 
directing her troops against the city of Granada, which 
was held by the Moors. 

Fourteen days wont by, and, at last, Rodriquez re- 
turned to the heights of Palos. 

" The Queen is much interested in your mariner 
friend, Columbus," said he to Juan Perez. " She 
wifllios greatly to add to the glory of Spain, and re- 
cpicsta that you allow this sailor to travel to her mili- 



20 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

tary camp. But first she wishes to talk with you, good 
priest." 

The friar was delighted. Quickly saddling his mule, 
he was soon upon his way to Santa Fe, where he was 
received with kindness and consideration. The Queen 
had a friend and companion called the Marchioness 
Moya who urged her to give aid to Columbus and thus 
bring much renovm and glory both to herself and Spain. 
" This fellow has a great idea," she said. " Surely 
you will allow him, in the name of Spain, to find out 
what lies far to the westward." 

Isabella was feeling particularly happy, just then, 
for her troops had nearly captured the city of Granada 
and the hated Moors were about to be driven from the 
soil of Spain. So she gave a great deal of money to 
the priest from Palos, in order that Christopher Colum- 
bus could buy a mule and sufficient clothing to appear 
at court. With smiles of satisfaction the good friar 
returned to the convent at La Kabida and the first link 
in the chain which led to the discovery of the West 
Indies by those of white complexion, had been forged. 

The time had come when the schemes of western ex- 
ploration, which for years had lain dormant in the 
breast of this penniless man from Genoa, were about to 
be put into execution. Columbus was now light- 
hearted, even merry, and, leaving his little son to the 
care of the good monks of Palos, he mounted a mule 
and journeyed to Santa Fe, accompanied by his friend 
Juan Perez. 

It was a propitious moment. The Moorish leader 
had just handed over the keys of the city of Granada 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 21 

to Queen Isabella, who, mounted upon her horse and 
surrounded by a retinue of ladies-in-waiting and cour- 
tiers, joyfully received the keys, as evidence that the 
Moors were at last driven from the soil of Spain. Co- 
lumbus soon was admitted to her presence and there 
told of his desire to sail westward toward the setting 
sun. 

" But," said he, " if this voyage is a success, I must 
be made Admiral and Viceroy over the countries which 
I discover, and must also receive one-tenth of the rev- 
enues which come from these lands, either from trade 
or from agriculture." 

These terms did not suit the Queen's counselors. 

" It would be degrading to exalt an ordinary man to 
such high position," said Talavera, the Queen's fore- 
most advisor. " The demands of this threadbare navi- 
gator are absurd." 

More moderate terms were offered to Colvunbus, but 
he declined them. 

" Good-by, Your Majesty," said he. " I will go to 
France, where the King will perhaps give me more ad- 
vantageous offerings than you care to present." 

So the good man mounted his mule — the very one 
which the Queen had presented him with — but he 
did not seem to mind using it, and, turning his back 
on Santa Fe, and the convent of La Rabida, he started 
for the Pyrenees Mountains in order to journey to 
France. 

As soon as he had gone the Queen began to feel 
sorry that she had allowed him to depart. Her friends 
gathered around her and had a good deal to say. 



22 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

" What an opportunity you arc losing to enhance 
the glory of Spain," said several. " Wliat a chance to 
niako your ovvn name forever great. If I were you, 
I would call this navigator back to court before he 
arrives upon the soil of France." 

Her husband. King Ferdinand, looked coldly upon the 
project, for his treasury had been exhausted by tlie 
fighting with the Moors and he did not wish to spend 
any more money, just then. But tlie Queen had many 
jewels which she could pledge in order to raise money 
for ships and for supplies. 

" Ferdinand," said she to her husband, " if you 
do not care to undertake this enterprise for the glory 
of the crown of Castile, I myself, will do so, and I will 
give all of my jewels as security for a loan to the navi- 
gator Columbus." 

A courier was sent post hasto after the sailor from 
Genoa, who was then ambling along upon his mule 
and was crossing the bridge of Pinos, some six miles 
from Granada. 

" The Queen has changed her mind towards you," 
said the courier who had been sent to find the poor 
navigator. "Come back! You will now have funds 
with which to go upon your journey." 

Columbus hesitated a moment, for ho feared that 
this was a lie, but, convinced of the truth of the state- 
ment, ho turned about and whipped up his mule. They 
trotted along jo\'fully towards Santa Fe. 

The Queen was now in a pleasant humor. Columbus 
was given all that he had asked for, but he was re- 
quired to bear one-eighth of the expense of the journey. 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 23 

Papers to this effect were drawn up and signed on April 
the seventeenth, 1402, and, a month later, the joyful 
navigator set out for Palos in order to get ready the 
ships and provisions for the long-hoped-for voyage of 
discovery. 

By the terms of the agreement between himself and 
the King and Queen he was to be called Viceroy and 
Governor of the new provinces which he wished to 
conquer in the rich territories of Asia, the country 
which he thought to be in the far west. He was to 
receive one-tenth of the pearls, precious stones, gold, 
silver, spices, and merchandise of whatever kind, which 
might be taken by his followers in the kingdoms which 
he expected to take possession of. Good terms these! 
Let us see how he fared ! 

Three caravels were now equipped for the journey 
at the port of Palos. It was difficult to fmd sailors to 
man them with. All were frightened at the enterprise 
and shuddered when they thought of a long sail into 
the unknown West. But the King said that he would 
pardon all those who had criminal charges hanging 
over them, should they join the expedition. In this 
way a sufficient number of sailors were secured. 

"the three ships were called the Gallega the Pinta, 
and the Nina. The first was to be the flagship of Co- 
lumbus, so he changed her name to the Santa Maria, as 
he was of a religious turn of mind. The Pinta was 
commanded by Martin Pinzon, and the Nina by his two 
brothers, Francis and Vincent. 

On Friday, August oOtli, 1492, the caravels headed 
out to sea and started uj)on this voyage of discovery. 



24 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

One hundred and twenty sailors had been secured, most 
of them with criminal records, so it was not to be 
expected that the Admiral, as Colimibus was now called, 
would have an easy time with them. Some, in fact, 
were so anxious not to go that they purposely unshipped 
the rudder of the Pinta, when only a day from port, 
and the vessel had to be steered for the Canary Isles 
in order to repair the damage. Finally, after a three 
weeks' delay, during which another rudder was made, 
the expedition again hoisted canvas and headed for 
the blue horizon of the west. The hearts of the Spanish 
sailors now failed them and many cried like little chil- 
dren, for they were fearful of what lay before them; 
some, indeed, even thinking that they would come to a 
great hole and fall in. As for Columbus, he tried to 
comfort them with the prospect of gold and precious 
stones in India and Cathay which he was sure that 
they would discover. 

" On, on, my men," said he. " On, and let us all be 
enriched by the treasures which we will soon come 
upon ! " 

But the ignorant sailors were constantly anxious and 
distrustful. 

The bellying sails carried the three caravels ever to 
the westward. They sailed through vast masses of sea- 
weed on which small fish and crabs were hanging, and 
the sailors feared that they would be stranded upon this 
mass of vegetation. But when they threw lines into 
the water these did not touch the bottom, so they knew 
that they could go forward. The three vessels, in fact, 
were plowing through the Sargossa Sea, eight hundred 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 25 

miles from the Canary Isles. This is a mass of tangled 
sea-weed over two miles in depth, eo it is no wonder 
that the linos did not touch anything when they let 
them do^vn. 

Now birds began to fly around the caravels, such as 
gannets and sea-swallows. 

" Land must surely be near," cried many. " We 
have now been six weeks upon the water and Asia must 
certainly be before us." 

But, in spite of the birds and the floating sea-weed, 
the boats kept on and on and still no land came to view. 

Columbus, himself, never lost his confidence in the 
ultimate success of the journey. 

" My men," said he, " land will eventually be sighted. 
You must bolster up your hearts and have great cour- 
age, for we will soon view the coast of Asia, where lives 
the mighty Khan." 

And, each evening, he made the sailors chant a hymn 
to the Virgin. Cheered by the words of this heroic 
man, the Spaniards gained renewed hope and eagerly 
scanned the horizon for some signs of palm trees or 
tropic vegetation. 

Before the expedition had set out. King Ferdinand 
had promised a reward of 10,000 maravedis, or 400 
pounds sterling ($2,000), to the sailor who first dis- 
covered land. So, do you wonder that the mariners 
eagerly scanned the blue distance for a dark line of 
earth ! 

As the ships drowsed along with a gentle easterly 
wind in their roar, numerous large birds, petrels, man- 
of-war birds and damiers, flying in couples, were a sign 



26 FAxMOUS DISCOVERERS 

that lami must certainly bo near, for otherwise how 
could these feathered sea-farers breed and lay their 
e^^? On, on, the mariners drifted, the sailors eager, 
depressed, even mutinous, but the courage of Columbus 
never wavered. 

The month of October had now arrived and the Ad- 
miral announced to his crews that the ships had traveled 
1,272 miles to the westward. In reality, they had 
sailed 2,100 miles; but Columbus hid the truth from 
his followers, for he knew them to bo on the point of 
mutiny, and, should they learn how far they were from 
home, they would wish to return. On October the 
seventh the crews were much excited by hearing sev- 
eral musketry discharges from the Nina, the com- 
numder of which thought that he had discovered land. 
But this was an illusion ; what he took to be laud was 
but a patch of sea-weed, bobbing on the glassy waves. 

A number of paroquets went flying by in a south- 
westerly direction, and, thinking that they were doubt- 
less winging their way towards their homes, the Ad- 
miral was requested to steer more towards the south. 
This he did, and it is well that he so traveled, for, had 
the vessels kept due westward, they would doubtless 
have run aground upon the great Bahama Bank and 
would have been destroyed. 

J)ut why did not land appear^ 

Each evening the sun dii)ped down behind an in- 
tenninable horizon of water. Sea-weed floated past, 
birds flew around upon every side, and still no land 
came to view. The Spaniards begim to murmur loudly 
against Columbus. 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 27 

" He is a Genoese, a forciguer," said some. " What 
does he care for Spaniards! lie has enticed us from 
our own country only to drown us all. One tlinist of 
a poniard and he will be out of the way forever ! " 

The Admiral heard of these remarks and knew that 
his sailors plotted his destruction, but his spirit never 
faltered, and, as the men still worked the ships, he kept 
courageously onward. 

The eleventh of October had now come, and, as the 
bold navigator was looking over the side of the Santa 
Maria, he noticed a reed, still green, floating upon the 
top of a wave. II is heart beat faster, for he realized 
that land must certainly be in the offing. Almost at 
the same time the men on board the Ni/na perceived 
the branch of a thorny tree, covered with blossoms, 
which bobbed upon the sprawling waves. All rejoiced 
exceedingly, for they knew that the coast of some 
strange country must be near. Night fell over the 
sea, and Columbus took up his position on the foremost 
part of his vessel, where ho could watch until morning. 
About ten o'clock he thought that he saw a light in 
the distance and called to a sailor, Pedro Guitierrez, 
a chamberlain in the King's service, who confirmed it. 
Once or twice, after this, the Admiral again saw the 
light, which looked as if some person were carrying 
a flambeau on shore, or in a boat, tossed by the waves. 

Columbus spent a restless night. \Vhen morning 
broke a sailor, called Rodrigo de Triana, saw land from 
the deck of the Pvnta, and a thrill of joy and thanks- 
giving ran through ovory heart. It was only two miles 
away, and the vessels <piickly headed towards the low- 



28 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

lying shore. Every one eagerly crowded forward, with 
shouts and cries of joy, as the three caravels drew nearer 
and nearer to the sandy beach. The vessels anchored, 
and, crowding into the boats, Columbus, with his fol- 
lowers, rowed towards the breaking combers. All were 
eager to set foot upon the new-found territory. 

Columbus had on a scarlet coat ; and in one hand he 
held a cross, in the other a sword. When he reached 
the beach he knelt upon one knee and kissed the soil, 
while one of his followers held over his head the royal 
banner of gold, embroidered with crowns and with 
an F and I, the initials of Kind Ferdinand and Queen 
Isabella. He gave thanks to God; while all his crew 
of malcontents joined him in singing the Te Deum. 
His sailors gathered about him, embracing him with 
fervor, and begging his forgiveness for their mutinous 
spirit. 

At this moment some naked savages appeared from 
behind the tropic foliage and came timidly towards the 
Spaniards. None of the men appeared to be over 
thirty years of age, and the women, too, were young. 
They were well made, their figures handsome, and their 
faces agreeable. Their hair, as coarse as the tail of 
a horse, hung down in front as far as their eyebrows, 
while behind it formed a long mass which was appar- 
ently never cut. 

As they approached, the Spaniards greeted them 
kindly, and, when the voyageurs showed them their 
swords, the poor natives seized them in their hands so 
that they cut their fingers. 

The Spaniards roamed about for some time, glad 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 29 

indeed to stretch their legs, and then jumped into their 
long boats, in order to go back to the ships. Several 
of the natives plunged into the water and swam after 
them, crying out with apparent pleasure. Next day 
they came in crowds around the vessels, paddling them- 
selves in enormous canoes shaped from the trunks of 
trees and guided by means of broad paddles, like a 
snow shovel. Several of the islanders wore little plates 
of gold hanging from their nostrils, which interested 
the Spaniards more than anything else. " Where did 
you get this ? " they signaled to the chattering Indians. 
The natives pointed towards the south, when they un- 
derstood what the mariners wished to know, and this 
made the voyageurs eager to get away, for gold was 
ever that which has lured the Spaniard onward. 

Columbus named the island San Salvador, and be- 
lieved that he had arrived upon the coast of Asia. The 
place was beautiful. Gray and yellow parroquets chat- 
tered and screamed from the trees, and brilliant tropic 
birds fluttered before them, as the Spaniards explored 
the interior. A small lake was in the center of the 
island, but there was no sign of gold or of gold mines. 
So the voyageurs turned away, disgusted, and deter- 
mined to sail southward where the natives told them was 
a mighty monarch who possessed great vessels of gold, 
and immense riches. 

The next morning, at daybreak, Columbus gave or- 
ders to have the ships prepared for sea and all set sail 
towards the south, coasting along the western side of 
the island, while the natives, running down to the 
shore, offered the Spaniards water and cassava bread, 



30 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

made from the root of a plant called the " yucca." 
The Admiral landed upon the coast at different points 
and carried olf some of the natives, so that he might 
exhibit them in Spain. Poor, ignorant islanders I 
Little did they guess that soon the white-skinned stran- 
gers would tear them from their country in order to 
sell them as slaves. 

The Spaniards were really among the West Indies; 
but Columbus still had the idea that he was near 
China, the home of the mighty Khan, stories of whose 
wealth and possessions had already been brought to 
Spain. So, after the three caravels had left the island 
of Cuba, two emissaries were dispatched into the in- 
terior in order to take presents to the Khan. They 
soon returned, telling of the peaceful natives, beauti- 
ful groves of palm trees, but of no signs of the Asiatic 
potentate. They reported that both the native men 
and women smoked tobacco by means of a forked pipe, 
and that they had cotton houses made in the form of 
tents. 

The crews now began to grow restless. They had 
come to find Asia or India, where were great hoai'ds 
of gold. Instead of this they had found merely some 
tropic islands, populated by a race of naked savages 
who had no great treasures and knew nothing of gold 
mines. The Admiral sailed onward and kept discover- 
ing other islands, in all of which he found many ar- 
ticles of gold, but no particularly great city or town 
with riches and treasure. And there were no signs of 
the mighty Ivlian of Asia. 

While exploring the coast of an island called Ilayti, 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 31 

a young chief visited the caravels, attended by two 
hundred subjects. He spoke little, but gave the Ad- 
miral a curious belt and two pieces of gold, for which 
Columbus, in return, presented him with a piece of 
cloth, several amber beads, colored shoes, and a flask 
of orange water. In the evening the native was sent 
on shore with great ceremony and a salute was fired 
in his honor, which both surprised and interested him. 

A short time after this a still greater chief, named 
Guacanagari, sent a messenger to the Admiral request- 
ing him to come to his part of the island. The ships 
were therefore turned in the direction of this chief's 
home, and had sailed within a mile of his residence, 
when the Santa Maria ran upon a sand bank and quickly 
went to pieces. When news of this was brought to the 
native ruler, he sent his followers to unload the vessel 
and guard the contents, and his family to cheer the 
Spanish navigator and to assure him that everything 
which he possessed was at his disposal. All of the 
Spaniards went on board the Nina and were later en- 
tertained by the prince. So well, indeed, did Columbus 
like this island that he determined to erect a fort upon 
the coast, and to leave there a certain number of men 
with a year's provisions of bread, wine, and seed, also 
the long boat of the Santa Maria. 

As a matter of fact the Spaniards were now eager 
to return to Spain, for, although they had discovered 
a new territory, they had not found the great quantities 
of gold. As for the mighty Khan, ho was certainly 
not in the vicinity of these tropic isles, with their green 
paroquets screaming from the waving branches of the 



32 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

palm trees, and their naked savages with soft voices 
and hollowed canoes. The majority of the seamen 
thought that they had done quite sufficient exploring 
and were certainly ready to return to the bullfights 
and the crooked streets of old Seville. 

" Back to Spain," they said to Columbus. " Back 
to Spain and let other adventurers come here if they 
wish. We have found the way for them. Let them 
explore and develop this territory." 

Columbus was quite ready to set sail across the At- 
lantic, for he had found a new country for the Spanish 
Crown, and had added many square miles of territory 
to the possessions of King Ferdinand and Queen Isa- 
bella. It was now the month of January; the skies 
were blue and the weather was balmy; so all seemed 
propitious for a safe and speedy passage. Leaving 
thirty-nine men to garrison a fortress which he ordered 
to be constructed, and to search for gold until he could 
come back again from Spain, and naming one Rodrigo 
de Escovedo as their commander, the Admiral boarded 
the Nina, and, after fighting a mimic sham battle with 
his men, in order to amuse the Indians, he turned the 
prow of the little vessel toward the rising sun. The 
Pinta, under the command of Martin Pinzon, had been 
cruising to the south for some days; but she now re- 
turned, with the news that, although the natives had 
told of a great island to the south where there was much 
gold, none existed. The sailors were much distressed 
in mind, for they had certainly expected to find a quan- 
tity of gold and treasure in this tropic country. 

It was now the seventh day of January and the boats 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 33 

lay to, iu order to stop a leak which had sprung in the 
hold of the Nina. Columbus profited by the delay and 
explored a wide river which flowed from the base of a 
high mountain, called Mouti Christi by some of the 
crew. The Admiral found the banks of this stream 
were full of gold-dust — so much, in fact, that he 
named it the Golden River. In spite of this discov- 
ery the Spanish sailors were still anxious to return 
and began to murmur against the authority of Colum- 
bus. Thus, on the ninth day of January, the two 
caravels set sail, and, steering towards the southeast, 
skirted the coast, en route for Spain. 

As they swung lazily along, the natives sometimes 
followed them in their canoes. One day they began 
to shoot at the sailors with their arrows, so that dis- 
charge of musketry had to be resorted to, in order to 
drive them away. Two or three of the islanders were 
killed in this little affair, and thus, for the first time, 
the blood of an Indian flowed beneath the hand of a 
European. 

Four of the natives were captured and taken on board 
so that they might be exhibited in Spain. They went 
unwillingly, but, when they endeavored to escape, were 
bound to the masts and were forced to join the Spanish 
adventurers. So, cruel even in this first expedition to 
the new world, just as they were ever afterAvards, the 
Spanish navigators plowed eastward towards the land 
of Ferdinand and Isabella. The passage proved to be 
a quick one until the twelfth day of February, when 
the vessels encountered a fearful storm lasting three 
days. 



34 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

The little caravels with their three-cornered sails 
were slapped around on the surging billows until all 
thought that they were lost, and the sailors swore on 
bended knee that they would go and pray in their 
sliirts, and with naked feet, at the monastery of our 
Lady of Loretto, if a Kindly Heaven would only put 
an end to this fearful raging of the waters. Colum- 
bus seems to have given up all hope of ever reaching 
land, for he wrote out a description of his voyages, 
placed it inside a cask, and hurled it into the sea. This 
included a request that whoever should find this docu- 
ment would forward it to the King of Spain. 

Luck, however, was with him, and the storm at length 
abated to such a degree that the two caravels cast anchor 
at the island of St. Mary, one of the Azores. The 
crew went ashore, and were immediately thrown into 
prison; but, after a period of five days, were allowed 
to leave by their Portuguese jailors. Again the two 
caravels headed for Spain, but again the winds blew 
vigorously, so that the Pinta was driven into the Bay 
of Biscay and the Nina had to take refuge at the mouth 
of the Tagus, in Portugal. 

Here the Portuguese welcomed the Admiral in a 
kindly fashion, but he was anxious to return to Spain, 
and, as soon as the weather would permit, the Nina 
again set sail. Finally, on the fifteenth day of March, 
after seven months of navigation, she cast anchor at 
the port of Palos, that little harbor from which the man 
with a great idea had sailed with a half-hearted and 
distrusting crew. 

Columbus had guessed correctly. A new land did 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 35 

Ho far to the westward across the blue Atlantic, and 
it was a land where was gold, that which every Span- 
iard prized the most. The Genoese mariner had dis- 
covered the islands of San Salvador, Conception, Great 
Exuma, Long Island, the Mucaras, Cuba, and San 
Domingo. 

The first man to give him a welcoming pat on the 
back was the good old friar Juan Perez. 

" You have done well, my good Columbus," said he. 
" How glad I am that I introduced you to the gracious 
Queen Isabella. You have indeed fulfilled the dreams 
that you dreamed in the convent of La Eabida." 

Ferdinand and Isabella were then at Barcelona, and, 
hearing of the safe return of Columbus, a message was 
immediately dispatched to ask him to come at once to 
court. The Admiral landed, offered thanks to God for 
preserving him in all his trials, and, taking with him 
the Indian captives, started on his journey to the resi- 
dence of his King. From all parts of the country the 
Spanish people ran to look at him as he passed. They 
threw their hats in their air, shouting : " Long live 
Columbus I Long live the discoverer of new countries ! 
All honor to the Admiral ! " He was preceded by a 
troop of cavalry and a band of music when he en- 
tered Barcelona, and flowers were strewn in his path- 
way. 

Ferdinand and Isabella received him with great 
pomp at the Deputation. After hearing his story, told 
by him with graphic words, all knelt and chanted the To 
Deum. Christopher Columbus was then ennobled by 
letters patent, and the King granted hira a coat of arms 



36 FAMOUS DISCOVEREES 

bearing the device : " To Castile and Leon, Columbus 
gives a New World." 

The fame of the poor navigator rang throughout all 
the then civilized world; the Indians were baptized 
in the presence of the whole court ; and all tongues gave 
praise to this poor and unknown sailor who had dreamed 
a dream of conquest which had come true. 

Strength of purpose and strength of will had won the 
day. Had the Genoese mariner given in to discour- 
agement when his half-criminal sailors grew mutinous 
and wished to return to Spain after they had passed 
the Sargossa Sea, to some one else would have belonged 
the honor of the discovery of the West Indies. Had 
he not used a firm hand in dealing with them, they 
would have marooned him on one of the islands which 
he discovered and would have left him there to die. 
Had he not been sure that he would find what he was 
after, Queen Isabella would not have aided him to 
glory and renown. Great and Valiant Sailor, you 
should indeed be remembered with reverence, for you 
knew how to triumph over doubt and discouragement 
and your faith was sublime ! All honor then to Chris- 
topher Columbus! 

The remaining adventures of this gallant soul can 
be briefly narrated. Upon a second voyage to the West 
Indies he found the men whom he had left behind him 
had all been murdered by the Indians. After Colum- 
bus had sailed to Spain the Spaniards had stolen some 
of the Indian women and had consequently stirred up 
the wratli of the great chief who lived in the interior of 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 37 

the island of Ilayti, where they had been instructed to 
build a fort and live until the return of their compan- 
ions. A row of graves under the swaying palm trees 
showed where once had been thirty-nine adventurous 
souls from Palos in Spain. 

The Spaniards came over in numbers after this expe- 
dition, but, although they founded a city and attempted 
to settle in the new world, there were continual dissen- 
sions with the natives; fights; ambuscades; massacres. 
The men from Castile were lazy ; greedy for gold ; cruel 
to the natives; and treated them brutally when the 
poor Indians could not furnish them with the glittering 
metal which they so keenly desired. Then the more 
rapacious ones turned on Columbus himself, threw him 
in irons on one occasion, and continually derided him 
to the King of Spain, who, because the Indies did not 
produce the revenues which he had expected them to, 
turned coldly upon the mariner from Palos, and rather 
took the part of these malcontents against him. Like 
all persons who reach a certain pinnacle of greatness, 
Columbus could not remain a popular idol, for all 
men are human and he had the ambitions of others to 
contend with. There were fights with the natives; 
fights among the Colonists themselves; fights with the 
malaria, the yellow fever, and with other diseases. 

Columbus himself fared badly. After the death of 
good Queen Isabella, Ferdinand would not aid him in 
the least. lie had saved no money, after all these 
adventures, and, as his life drew to a close, had to live 
by borrowing. lie did not even own a home in Spain, 
and had to reside at Inns and at boarding houses. 



38 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

Alone, neglected, miserable, poor, he finally passed to 
another and better world, on May the twentieth 1500. 
He was seventy years of age. 

Buried in the convent of St. Francisco, at Valladolid, 
Spain, his body was removed to the monastery of Laa 
Cuevaa at Seville, and, still later, to the cathedral of 
San Domingo at Hispaniola. But again it was taken 
lip, and transported by vessel to Havana, Cuba, that 
rich tropio isle which the great navigator himself had 
discovered. Here to-day it is lying, and the sad spirit 
of this strange man of destiny hovers over the richest 
of all the possessions which Spain held in the West 
Indies, until wrested from her feeble grasp by the 
people of the United States in the year 1898, and mag- 
nanimously presented to the Cuban people themselves, 
to govern as they wished. 

Could the poor old mariner, as he lay dying at Valla- 
dolid, have but looked forward into the centuries and 
seen the New World which he had discovered, he would 
have indeed been well satisfied. Had he known that a 
great Exposition would have been held to his memory 
and fame, and could he have guessed that the children 
of the civilized world would ever afterwards bo taught 
the history of his life, of his perseverance, hia courage, 
and his faith, he would indeed have been cheered in 
those last cheerless and poverty-stricken days. 

In the career of this poor Italian dreamer, studying 
in every moment of leisure, asking assistance year after 
year from crowned heads until ho was fifty-six years of 
age, in order that he might make his immortal discov- 
eries, is a lesson to all who feel that their lives have 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 39 

not been perhaps worth while as thej near middle age. 
The lesson is : — keep on trying to win, and, even 
though you may not be appreciated during your life- 
time, history will always give you a proper niche in 
the temple of fame. And do not believe that youth is 
the only time for adventurous discoveries. Columbus 
did not sail upon his epoch-making journey towards the 
West until after he had reached his fifty-sixth year. 
Middle age and perseverance, then, are good aids to 
place one within the halls of the immortals. 



THE SONG OF THE ISLAm)ER 

O brother, good brother, look out on the bay. 
What's that that is nearing, so long and so gray? 
'Tis a palm tree, I'll warrant, so large and so lean, 
That it o'ershadows all palm trees that e'er 1 have seen. 

O brother, good brother, it stops and is still ; 
White clouds are above it, they beckon and fill ; 
Two sticks running upward are covered with vines, 
And a humming resounds like the wind when it whines. 

O brother, good brother, a puff of white smoke 
Rolls upward and onward — a voice surely spoke, 
'Tis the speech of God Tezcal, he's calling aloud. 
For the rest of the Gods to gather and crowd. 

O brother, good brother, what's that to the rear ? 

A canoe is approaching, it fills me with fear. 

For the white gods are paddling; they dress all in red, 

And the skin of their hands looks like that of the dead. 

O brother, good brother, bend low and keep still. 
See the God in the bow, he is white-haired and ill. 
Let us hide in the palms, ere they step on the shore, 
Let us watch in the grass 'til this danger is o'er. 

They jump to the beach, raise a cross-stick on high, 

They speak a strange tongue and utter a cry. 

40 



CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS 41 

O brother, good brother, what's that shines and gleams ? 
On their breasts, on their backs, — it glitters and beams. 

Let us talk with these strangers, let us speak with these 

men, 
There are hundreds of brothers behind in the glen, 
Thej surely can't harm us, they come from the sky, 
And they smile as they see us. Then let us draw nigh. 

O brother, good brother, had I never been near. 
These pale-visaged Gods who from Spain traveled here, 
I'd be in the forest, not bound to the mast. 
As the Nina rolls on and the shore flyeth past. 

Good-hye, tropic islands ! Good-bye, Salvador ! 
My siDirit is crushed; my free life is o'er. 
Farewell, beloved palm trees! Farewell and adieu! 
My home is hehitid me and fades from my view. 



AJVIERIGO VESPUCCI: 

FLORENTINE NAVIGATOR FROM WHOM 
AMERICA HAS DERIVED ITS NAME. 

(1452-1512) 



AMERIGO VESPUCCI: 

FLORENTINE NAVIGATOR FROM WHOM 
AMERICA HAS DERIVED ITS NAME. 

(1452-1512) 

ABOUT the beginning of the thirteenth century a 
family called Vespucci established themselves 
in the City of Florence, Italy. Anastatic Ves- 
pucci was the head of the family in 1451 and lived in a 
stately mansion, now occupied as a hospital for the 
poor, near the gate of the city known as Porta del 
Prato. He was Secretary of the Senate, and, although 
he lived in a palatial dwelling, had little besides the 
salary attached to his high office. Upon March the 
ninth, 1451, the third son of this official was born, and, 
when three days of age, was duly christened Amerigo. 
He has since been called Americus. 

Almost from his cradle the boy was destined to be- 
come a merchant. Yet he had a good schooling, too, 
and was educated at a private institution presided over 
by his father's brother, a monk of the Order of San 
Marco, who, before the birth of Americus, had become 
famous as a teacher of the noble youths of the city. 
Here the boy was taught mathematics, astronomy, 

geography, and the classics. He became especially in- 

46 



46 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

terested in geography and became ambitious to excel as 
a geographer. 

Amerigo, or iVmericus, seems to have remained a 
student under the direction of his uncle for a number 
of years, yet we have no record of when it was that he 
followed the wishes of his father and entered upon mer- 
cantile pursuits. At any rate, he never lost his early 
interest in geography. In spite of his days in a count- 
ing house, he eagerly studied maps and charts. He 
made a collection of them, and, for one map alone, paid 
a sura equivalent to five hundred and fifty-five dol- 
lars. 

Americus had an elder brother, Geralamo, who had 
left home to seek his fortune in foreign climes and had 
established himself in business in Asia Minor. He be- 
came immensely wealthy, and all went well with him, 
until one day, while he was at church, thieves broke 
into his house and robbed him of all that he possessed. 
This greatly impoverished the family, so that Americus 
determined to leave Florence and journey to some other 
country where he could retrieve his brother's losses. 
He selected Spain as the scene of his future labors. 

Just as Magellan deserted Portugal for Spain, so, 
also, Americus felt that here were fame and fortune 
awaiting him. Ferdinand and Isabella were then wag- 
ing war upon the Moors who held the southern part of 
the peninsula, and, as this was regarded as a holy war, 
many of the young nobles from surrounding countries 
were in Spain fighting for the crown of Castile. The 
war created a demand for many articles of conmierce, 
so Americus went to Spain as the agent for one of the 



AMERIGO VESPUCCI 47 

^ledici, a ruling family in Florence. At the beginning 
of the year 1492, when Coliuubus made his first journey 
of exploration to the West Indies, we find the young 
Italian associated with one Berardi, who, after the 
return of Columbus from his first voyage, was com- 
missioned to furnish and equip four vessels to be sent 
to the New World at different intervals. Vespucci 
met Columbus, had lengthy conversations with him re- 
garding the New World, and, from his letters, we can 
see that ho had a very clear idea that Cuba was not the 
main land, as Columbus supposed it to be, but was an 
island. 

Berardi died in December, 1495, and the manage- 
ment of all his affairs devolved upon the shoulders of 
Vespucci, who soon wearied of seeking the favors of 
fortune and determined to abandon mercantile life for 
something, " laudable and stable." He formed, in 
fact, a determination to visit the various parts of the 
world, a determination which he soon put into execu- 
tion. 

A navigator, called Ojeda, was about to set sail for 
the West Indies with four vessels and we find that 
Americus became one of his crew. According to some, 
he was to be one of the principal pilots; according to 
others he was to be an agent of the King and Queen, 
having a voice in the direction of the ships. On May 
10th., 1497, the fleet left Cadiz, and, after reaching 
the Canary Islands, sailed so rapidly that, at the end 
of twenty-seven days, they came in sight of land. This 
was the coast of South America. 

The Spaniard anchored and attempted to hold some 



48 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

intercourse with the natives, but the Indians were very 
shy and refused to come out to visit them. So, coasting 
along the shore, they came upon a village, which, much 
to their surprise, was built after the fashion of the city 
of Venice, Italy. The houses were placed upon piers 
in the water, and had entrances by means of draw- 
bridges, so that the inhabitants, by leaving the bridges 
down, could traverse the whole town without difficulty. 
The explorers therefore called it Venezuela, a name 
which has endured to the present day. 

The inhabitants, at first, shut themselves up in their 
houses and raised the draw-bridges, and, as the ships 
came nearer, the savages embarked in their canoes and 
rowed out to sea. The Spaniards made every mark of 
friendship and invited the Indians to come to their 
ships, but the brown-skinned natives hastened away, 
making signs for the Spaniards to wait where they were, 
as they would return. They came back, bringing with 
them sixteen young girls, who beckoned to them and 
made signals of peace. The Castilians were much im- 
pressed by this; so much so, in fact, that their sus- 
picions were not aroused by the sight of numerous 
natives who came swimming towards the ships. Sud- 
denly they noticed that some of the women at the 
doors of the huts were wailing and tearing their hair, 
as if in great distress. 

While wondering what this meant, suddenly all the 
girls sprang from their canoes, and the Spaniards saw 
that many men — who had been heretofore hidden by 
them — were armed with a bow and arrows. Each 
native in the water had a lance in his or her hand. 




?»*;- i 



■»1 



AMERIGO VESPUCCI 49 

Hardly }iad the white men perceived this before they 
were furiously attacked. 

The Spaniards vigorously defended themselves with 
their muskets and then made a dash for the canoes in 
their long boats. They overturned several, killed 
about twenty of the South Americans, and took two of 
the girls and three men prisoners. Many of the na- 
tives were wounded. The Spaniards did not burn the 
town, but returned to their ships, where they placed 
the three men, w^hom they had captured, in irons. 
Then they sailed southward, but, when morning 
da\vned, discovered that the natives had managed to 
wiggle out of their irons and had jumped overboard. 

Keeping their course continually along the coast, the 
explorers came to anchor about eighty miles from this 
new-worlH Venice, where they saw about four thousand 
persons gathered upon the shore. These set up a wild 
yelping, when the Spaniards let down their boats, and 
fled into the forest. The white men followed and 
ou ^ camp where two natives were engaged in cook- 
ing iguanas, an animal which the early discoverers 
describ'^ as a serpent. The two cooks fled, of course, 
but the whites disturbed nothing in the camp, in order 
to reassure the natives, and then leisurely returned to 
their boats. 

Upon the following day these Indians paddled to the 
ships, and when they saw the two girl prisoners whom 
the Spaniards had taken, they became suddenly very 
friendly, for these girls belonged to a tribe with which 
they were then at war, 

" We have only come here for the fishing," said one 



50 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

of them, a chief. " We live far back in the country 
and wish you to journey to see us as our friends." 

The invitation was received with great satisfaction 
by the whites. 

" They importuned us so much," says Vespucci in 
his narrative of these events, published some years 
afterwards, " that, having taken counsel, twenty-three 
of us Christians concluded to go with them, well pre- 
pared, and with firm resolution to die manfully, if such 
was to be our fate." 

So, the Spaniards journeyed inland, remained three 
days at the fishing camp, and then set out for the in- 
terior, where they visited so many villages that they 
were nine days on the journey, and their comrades on 
board the vessels gi'ew very uneasy about them. The 
Indians, in fact, showed them great attention, and 
when they were about to return to the ships, insisted 
upon carrying them along in hammocks, slung upon the 
shoulders of strong and willing porters. When the 
explorers arrived at the shore, their boats were almost 
swamped by the numbers of savages who wished to 
accompany them, while swarms of natives who could 
not get into the boats, swam alongside to the ships. So 
many came aboard, that the mariners were quite 
troubled, fearing that they might make a sudden and 
unexpected attack. A cannon was fired off to impress 
the natives with the power of the explorers. At the 
explosion of the piece, many leaped into the sea, like 
frogs plunging into a marsh. Those who remained 
seemed to be unafraid and took leave of the mariners 
with many demonstrations of affection. 



AMERIGO VESPUCCI 51 

The Spaniards had now been thirteen months at sea, 
so their thoughts turned towards home. It was there- 
fore decided to careen their vessels on the beach, in 
order to calk and pitch them anew, as they leaked 
badly, and then they would return to Spain. The 
Castilians made a breastwork of their boats and their 
casks, and placed their artillery so that it would play 
upon any enemies who might advance; then, having 
unloaded and lightened their ships, they hauled them 
on land to make much needed repairs. 

No attack was made by the natives. Instead of this 
the South Americans brought them food, begging them 
to assist them in punishing a very cruel tribe of people 
who came to their country, every year, from the sea, 
and killed many of their warriors. They afterwards 
would eat them. Against these enemies they said 
that they were unable to defend themselves. When the 
Spaniards promised to march against the cannibals, no 
words could express their gratitude. Many wished to 
go with them, but the whites wisely rejected such offers, 
permitting only seven to accompany them. 

The Spaniards sailed in a northeasterly direction for 
seven days, and then came upon some islands, many of 
which were peopled. They cast anchor before one of 
them and lowered the boats; but, as they did so, they 
saw about four hundred men and women gather on the 
beach ; the men armed with bows, arrows, and lances, 
their naked bodies painted with various colors. As 
the Castilians approached to \vithin bowshot of the 
shore, the savages sent a flight of arrows at them in an 
effort to prevent them from landing. 



52 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

The cannon wore therefore loaded and fired. As 
some of the Indians fell dead, the rest retreated. The 
Castilians, with a cheer, hastily landed and fell upon 
the savages, who put up a stiff tight. The battle raged 
for about two hours without a decisive victory upon 
either side; some of the Indians were killed and some 
of the whites were injured. At last, tired out, the ex- 
plorers were glad enough to return to their vessels. 

Next day the Spaniards landed again, and, under the 
leadership of Vespucci, had a bloody battle with the 
cannibals. The natives were at length badly worsted, 
were driven to their village, and this was burned to the 
ground. Only one of the explorers was killed, while 
twenty-two were wounded. ^lany of the Indians were 
burned in the ruins of their thatched huts. 

Well satisfied with the outcome of this affair, the 
mariners now set sail for Spain, with the plaudits of 
the savages, whom they had assisted, ringing in their 
ears. They arrived in October, 1498, after an absence 
of about nineteen months, and were well received by 
the King and Queen, for they brought considerable 
gold, jewels, and skins of strange beasts and birds. 
Vespucci was highly pleased; he had been the first to 
visit the shore of South America and had really done 
something great in exploration, — his dream for many 
years. 

Shortly after his return, a second expedition was 
prepared for a journey to this new-foimd country', 
headed by one Ojeda, a Spaniard of some wealth and 
influence. A fleet of four vessels was equipped, and 
the latter part of the Spring of 1499 saw them ready 



AMERIGO VESPUCCI 53 

for sea. The reputation of Vespucci as a geographer 
was such as to make him the very man needed for this 
particular voyage, and, although at first disinclined to 
leave home at so early a date, he finally yielded to the 
entreaties of Ojeda, and joined the party. 

They set sail from Cadiz in May, 1499, and twenty- 
four days later saw land. The shore was low and so 
densely covered with small aromatic trees that the ex- 
plorers concluded to return to their ships and try some 
other spot. After coasting along in a southerly direc- 
tion they came to the mouth of a great river, and, 
having manned their boats with twenty well-armed 
adventurers, entered the stream and ascended it for 
more than fifty miles. But the land was as low, up- 
stream, as it was at the mouth, so the reconnoiteriug 
party floated down-stream to the fleet again. Anchors 
were raised, the ships stood out to sea, and, sailing in a 
southerly direction, encountered the great equatorial 
current which sweeps along the coast of Brazil. 

" We could scarcely make any headway against it," 
says Amerigo, in his description of this journey pub- 
lished some years later. " Seeing that we made no 
progress, or but very little, and also seeing the danger 
to which we were exposed, we determined to turn our 
prows to the northwest." 

Ten degrees north of the equator, the explorers again 
saw land, and, drawing nearer, found that this was an 
island. Many of the inhabitants were gathered upon 
the shore; but, when the pale-faced strangers landed, 
they took fright and ran into the woods. Fortunately 
two were captured and acted as envoys, so, after a time, 



54 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

the rest allowed the Spaniards to approach and speak 
with them. They were cannibals, eating the bodies of 
all those whom they killed or captured in war, and had 
the heads and bones of those who had been eaten piled 
up in a big heap. Much disgusted at what they had 
seen, the Spaniards sailed away. 

Drowsing along the coast of this island they came to 
another village of the same tribe, where they were hos- 
pitably received and were fed by the brovm-skinned in- 
habitants. But they moved onward, sailed westward, 
and soon anchored near one of the mouths of the Ori- 
noco Kiver, where was a large village close to the sea, 
the inhabitants of which regaled the mariners with 
three different kinds of wine, and presented them with 
eleven large pearls, more than a himdred smaller ones, 
and a small quantity of gold. Here the navigators 
remained seventeen days, feasting upon fruits and the 
savory acorns with which the place abounded. Then 
they continued along the coast, stopping occasionally 
to hold intercourse with the natives. 

These, for the most part, were unfriendly, and the 
Spaniards had many a battle with the South Ameri- 
cans. 

Vespucci says : " Many times not more than six- 
teen of us fought with two thousand of them, and, in 
the end defeated them, killing many and robbing their 
houses. We were obliged to fight with a great many 
people, but we always had the victory." 

Thus they progressed upon their way, fighting, trad- 
ing, exploring, until their stock of provisions became so 
nearly exhausted that it was impossible for them to 



AMERIGO VESPUCCI 55 

proceed further. Their ships, too, were sea-worn and 
leaky, so that the pumps could scarcely keep them free 
from water. 

Other Spanish adventurers had founded a city called 
Ilispaniola, not long before this, situated upon the east- 
ern coast of Panama. The Ojeda expedition was now 
about three hundred and sixty miles from the point, but 
it was decided to sail thither in order to repair the 
ships and secure food, such as Europeans were accus- 
tomed to. After a voyage of several weeks, the Span- 
ish caravels anchored in the harbor of the city founded 
by their countrymen, where they remained for two 
months. 

Refreshed by their stay at Ilispaniola, the Spaniards 
now cruised for some time among the numberless small 
islands north of Ilayti, but the provisions which they 
had secured soon began to give out ; they were reduced 
to six ounces of bread and three small measures of 
water a day for each man ; and the ships began to leak 
again, in spite of all the caulking which had been done 
at Ilispaniola. The leaders of the expedition, there- 
fore, decided to capture some slaves for the purpose of 
selling to wealthy grandees in Spain, and to return 
home. 

This harsh resolution was well carried out. Two 
liundred and thirty-two unfortunate natives were torn 
from their island home and their pleasant, indolent life, 
and were taken on board the ships. It was a dastardly 
thing to do, but men in these times were like the Ger- 
man invaders of Belgium in ours, — they were brutes. 
The prows of the four caravels were now turned towards 



56 FAJVIOUS DISCOVERERS 

Spain, and, after an uneventful voyage, they arrived 
at their place of departure, June 8th., 1500, after an 
absence of about thirteen mouths. Of the hfty-seven 
men who had set out upon the expedition, two had been 
killed by the Indians, the rest returned home. Thirty- 
two of the slaves died upon the journey across the 
Atlantic, the rest were sold to the Spanish grandees. 

Amerigo wrote freely of the journey to South 
America and his letters had a wide circulation, for he 
was the first ncwspaj)er correspondent: the forerunner 
of the modern Richard Uarding Davis-es and Frank G. 
Carpenters. By means of these epistles he gained a 
wide celebrity and his name became more closely con- 
nected with the New World than that of Columbus. 
Such being the case, it is no wonder that people began 
to call these new possessions after the man who wrote 
so graphically of what he had seen there. Amerigo 
Vespucci told of a land which came to be known as 
the land of Americus, or America. It should really 
have been called Columbia, after Christopher Colum- 
bus, but Columbus did not happen to have the facility 
for writing interesting letters. 

Amerigo, greatly pleased with what he had accom- 
plished, was resting quietly at Seville, when an invi- 
tation came from the King of Portugal to have him 
visit him, and, when lie arrived at Lisbon, the King 
had much to say to him. 

" Would he undertake another expedition to the new 
world under the Portuguese banner i " Yes, he would. 

No sooner said than done. On May 13th, 1501, Ves- 
pucci left on another journey with three armed cara- 



AMERIGO VESPUCCI 57 

vels. They ran south, touched at the Canary Islands, 
and then, through fierce and violent tempests, plowed 
towards the coast of South America. This they 
reached at length, and, coasting southward, frequently 
landed on the shore, where they had intercourse with 
the natives, most of whom were cannibals. 

Here the Spaniards remained for several months, 
then, having found no minerals of value in the country, 
although there was a great abundance of valuable woods 
of every kind, they decided to return to Portugal. All 
the vessels were stocked with food and with water for 
six months, their prows were turned eastward, and, 
bidding the cannibals of South America a fond adieu, 
the explorers headed for home. After a stormy pas- 
sage, and, after a voyage of fifteen months, the adven- 
turous navigators again sailed into the harbor of Lis- 
bon, where they were received with much joy. Flor- 
ence received the accounts of the discoveries of her il- 
lustrious son with much pride, and honors were be- 
stowed upon those members of his family who lived in 
the city of the Amo. 

Amerigo Vespucci was now a popular idol. He had 
been the discoverer of the method of obtaining longitude 
at sea, by observing the conjunction of the moon with 
one of the planets, and his observations and enumera- 
tion of the stars in the southern heavens were of great 
value to mariners who came after him. He was far in 
advance of most other learned men of the age in his 
knowledge of the sciences of astronomy and geome- 
try. 

Believing that Amerigo would have reached India by 



58 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

way of the southwest, had not his last voyage been in- 
terrupted by the severe storm which he had encountered, 
the King of Portugal lost no time in fitting out another 
expedition. Six vessels were therefore prepared, 
Amerigo being placed in command of one of them, and 
recognized as the scientific authority of the squadron. 
The fleet set sail again for that country of which all 
Europe was talking and speculating. 

This expedition was similar to those which preceded 
it. The vessels met with severe storms ; saw cannibals, 
brightly plumaged birds, and islands of palm groves 
and chattering parrots. The Spaniards built a for- 
tress upon one of the many harbors which they entered ; 
then, as all but one ship had been lost by shipwreck, 
the vessel which Vespucci commanded sailed back to 
Lisbon, arriving on June 18th., 1504. He was re- 
ceived as one risen from the dead, for the whole city 
had given him up for lost. 

Thus ended the last voyage of the famous Floren- 
tine. Perhaps disheartened by the unfortunate result 
of his cruise, he abandoned the idea of again going to 
sea, and devoted himself to writing an account of 
what he had already accomplished. Although younger 
by four years than Columbus, when the great Admiral 
had set sail upon his first voyage to the unknown West, 
Amerigo decided to rest upon laurels already won, and 
to never again tempt fame and fortune in an expedi- 
tion to the shores of South America. He spent his 
declining years in writing a full and graphic account 
of his many expeditions to the New World, and, on 
February the twenty-second, 1512, the spirit of the 



AMERIGO VESPUCCI 59 

astronomer and geographer passed to a better sphere. 

For many years after its discovery there seems to 
have been no effort to give a name to the New World ; 
indeed, it was so long supposed to be a part of Asia that 
this was thought to be unnecessary. In a Latin book, 
printed at Strassburg, Germany, in 1509 — the work 
of an Italian called Ilacomilo — it was suggested that 
the country be called America, as it was discovered by 
Amerigo (Americus). 

Not in the lifetime of the great Vespucci was this 
name so used. As late as the year 1550, North 
America was called Terra Florida on the Spanish maps, 
while Brazil was the name given to the coast of South 
America, where much dye-wood was obtained; the 
title coming from the Portuguese word hraza, mean- 
ing live coal, or glowing fire. Both the names of 
America and Brazil were applied to the shore of South 
America, until, after a while, the second of these names 
was confined to that part of the coast where the valuable 
dye-wood was obtained, while the other name was 
attached to the part north and south of it. From this 
it was but a short step to speaking of all of the great 
southern peninsula as America, and gradually this 
name was given to the entire western continent. 

Somewhere in Spain or Italy, Amerigo Vespucci 
sleeps in an unknown grave, but his epitaph is the 
name of a double continent: rich, populous, teeming 
with all things valuable. 

Of noble thought, splendid mind, and facile pen, the 
memory of the great Florentine geographer should be 
revered and respected for all time. 



JUAN PONCE DE LEON: 

DREAMER AND SEARCHER FOR THE 

FOUNTAIN OF PERPETUAL 

YOUTH. 

(14G0-1521) 



The tropic breeze fanned a fairy tale, a tale of the 

sheltering palms. 
Where the grimy sea cow sunned herself, in the hay 

where the ground-swell calms. 
It sang a song of a fountain clear in the depth of the 

tropic glade. 
Where the bubbles sparkle clear and cool, o'er the rocks 

of brown and jade. 
It spoke of the waters healing, which to bathe in meant 

joyous youth. 
To the gray-haired and decrepit, with wrinkles and 

hollowed tooth. 
And the breeze came to the ears of men, who believed it 

to he no lie. 
So the aged De Leon chimeras chased, in the land 

where he was to die. 



JUAN PONCE DE LEON: 

DREAMER AND SEARCHER FOR THE 

FOUNTAIN OF PERPETUAL 

YOUTH. 

(1460-1521) 

ONCE there lived in the island of Porto Rico, 
which became the property of the United 
States in 1898, a Spanish Knight who had 
fought against the Moors in Spain and who had helped 
to drive them from his native country. His name was 
Juan Ponco de Leon, and he was rich in slaves, in plan- 
tations, and in money. 

The good knight was growing old. As he gazed in 
his mirror he saw that his once coal-black beard was 
now silvered with gray, that his head was not only 
bald, but also grizzled, and, as for his joints, well, he 
had strange rheumatic pains when he bent over, and he 
did not leap out of bed in the morning with the same 
spirit of enthusiasm that he had had twenty years 
before. 

It is no wonder that this wrinkled soldier gave eager 
ear to the remarks of a native chieftain, Atamara, who 
one day said to the gray-haired veteran : 

" I see, good sir, that you are ncariiig a time when 

you will have to bid farewell to all your earthly posses- 

63 



64 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

sions, which will, I know, be far from pleasing to you. 
If you sail to the westward, you will find a fountain 
whose waters will restore the full vigor of youth. No 
matter how old you may be, should you but drink of 
this marvelous spring, you will be again twenty years 
of age. Your aches and pains will disappear, and you 
will enjoy life even as you did when a stripling." 

Ponce de Leon pricked up his ears at this, and 
eagerly questioned the chief concerning the direction 
which the fountain lay from the Isle of Porto Rico. 

" It lies towards the north-west," said the Indian. 
*MIere a man and a woman, called Idona and Nomi, 
who had grown old together, came down to drink. Pill- 
ing a pearly shell which lay near the water, first Nomi 
handed it to Idona, saying: 

" ' Drink, my love, that I may know thou wilt not 
part from me forever, for I have heard from the wind 
that this is a magic fountain where the water has the 
power of returning one's youth.' 

" Idona drank, then turned and filled the cup for his 
mate. A marvel now came to pass. There stood 
iNTomi, beautiful as in her youth ; garlanded, too, with 
flowers as when Idona had first seen her, and facing her 
was her lover in all the glory of his young manhood. 

" And, because these two had been so faithful to 
their pledges and had borne the pains of life so bravely 
together, the Spirit of the Earth led them to her own 
home, where they dwelt happily ever afterwards. 

" But once in twelve moons they come to the fountain 
to drink together of its waters. 

" This is the legend of the water," concluded Ala- 



JUAN PONCE DE LEON 65 

mara, *^' as it has been known amongst us from a time so 
far away that our wise men cannot measure it." 

Nowadays no one would give credence to such a 
legend, but those days were diiferent from the present. 
For had not hundreds of Spaniards believed in the El 
Dorado, or gilded man, and had not they followed De 
Soto in order to view him? So the Knight of Spain 
asked many questions of Atamara concerning his knowl- 
edge of the land where was the Fountain of Youth, and 
he learned enough to satisfy himself that many unex- 
plored islands and seas lay to the northward, which 
were only waiting for the eyes of some venturesome 
Castilian. He still had an iron constitution, built up 
by sound habits, military training, and temperate liv- 
ing; and he felt that he was not yet too old to use his 
good sword to carve out a greater dominion in new 
territories, i On the other hand, he had reached the 
downward turn of life so that this tale of the Fountain 
of Youth appealed to him the more he pondered upon 
it ; and he determined to go and seek for this mysterious 
water, even as De Soto had sought for the Gilded Man. 

The King of Spain was quite ready to grant this 
knight permission to discover, explore, and colonize the 
fabled land of which De Leon now wrote him, and sent 
him a letter which ran as follows: 

" To the Knight Don Juan Ponce de Leon. Inas- 
much as you, Juan Ponce de Leon, have sent and asked 
permission to go and discover the Island of Biminin, in 
accordance with certain conditions herein stated, and 
in order to confer on you this favor: 



66 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

" We grant you that you may discover, explore, and 
colonize the said island, provided that it be not hereto- 
fore discovered and under the conditions herein stated, 
to wit: 

" First, that you, Juan Ponce de Leon, take with 
you such ships as you require for the discovery of the 
said island, and for the carrying out of such projects. 
We grant you a period of three years, dating from the 
day which you receive this document, with the under- 
standing that you are to set out on this voyage of dis- 
covery the first year, also during your outward course 
you are privileged to touch at such islands, or main- 
lands in the ocean, as yet undiscovered, provided they 
do not belong to the King of Portugal, our much beloved 
son. Nor can you take anything whatever save such 
articles as are required for your sustenance, and the 
equipment of your ships, paying for them according to 
value received. 

" Moreover, to you, Ponce de Leon, in finding and 
discovering said island, we accord the Governorship, 
also the administration of justice, during your life- 
time, and, to insure the privilege, we will make your 
authority extend to the civil and criminal jurisdic- 
tion, including every and all issues, and rights an- 
nexed. 

" I order that the Indians be distributed among the 
people who make the first discoveries, as they should 
receive the most advantages. 

"Dated at Burgos, January 22nd., 1512. 

" I, THE King Fernando. 

" Signed by the Bishop of Valencia." 



JUAN PONCE DE LEON 67 

De Leon overhauled bis caravels, accumulated stores 
of arms, provisions, gifts, and trinkets of various kinds 
that would be suited to the tastes of the Indians whom 
be should find in these lands which he might discover, 
and arranged his home affairs. He had three caravels 
in all, and three hundred sailors and soldiers. Be- 
sides these, were several priests, for whose accommoda- 
tion a chapel was built upon the after deck of the 
Dolores, the largest vessel. All things were now ready, 
and, bidding his good wife, the Dona Dolores, fare- 
well, the Spanish adventurer turned the prow of bis 
flagship towards the west, and sailed through azure 
seas, whose very fish were rainbow tinted, in quest of 
the Fountain of Youth. 

The air was balmy, scented with the sweet odors of 
fruits and flowers, and fragrant with the spices of 
mango trees. The vessels drifted onward from one 
fairy-like islet to another, at all of which they made a 
brief stay, searching for that marvelous fountain of 
which the Indian had spoken. 

Brown-skinned natives came from the forests, bear- 
ing gifts of precious stones, of fruit, and of beauteous 
flowers, for which they refused any recompense. 
WTiite beaches glistened in the tropic sunlight as if 
their sands were polished grains of silver, and, as the 
caravels luffed under the lee of some of these palm- 
studded isles, the sailors saw quiet coves, shining like 
polished mirrors, into which crystal streams gurgled 
with murmurs almost human. 

The Castilians were charmed with the beautiful 
8ccnery, and many said: "Surely in this land of 



66 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

peace and beauty there must be a Fountain of per- 
petual Youth." 

So they kept onward towards the north, ever looking 
for the marvellous water which was to turn their griz- 
zled leader into a youth again. 

Tho sailors gazed at the many birds which flut- 
tered in the palms and sometimes hovered near their 
ships. There were white egrets, or herons, parroquets 
with green and yellow plumage, pink curlews, and 
flamingos with scarlet feathers and long curved bills. 
There were great sea turtles splashing in the shal- 
lows with huge, flabby feet, and gray sharks which 
whirled about amidst the foam in eager search for their 
prey. 

E^'er^'^vhere the natives were friendly, and, when 
asked if they knew aught of the Fountain of Youth, 
would shake their heads. Vainly the Spaniards drank 
of all the springs and the rivulets in these tropic isles, 
for none seemed to possess the wonderful healing prop- 
erties for which they longed. The brown-skinned is- 
landers knew little of Atamara's legend of the fountain, 
but they spoke of a great land lying far beyond, where 
perhaps the wondrous water might be spouting. It 
was a flne country, said they, called by the musical 
name of Florida. 

One moonlight evening, as De Leon sat upon the high 
deck of his caravel, when his vessels threaded a channel 
between two shadowy islands upon the port and the 
starboard, suddenly, far, far in front of him he beheld 
a brownish gray strip of country. It was an hour when 
revery would take the form of dreams, and, fearing that 



JUAN PONCE DE LEON 69 

the vision of coast and headland, gnlf, bays, palm trees 
and ports-of-refuge might be some delusive vision of 
the brain, he turned to his companion, Perez de Eso- 
quera, saying: 

" Is it true that I view the shadowy sea-coast of some 
undiscovered land ? I see great bays, indentations, and 
projections. I believe, good Perez, that we are near- 
ing a shore from which many Spains, nay, all of Europe 
might be carved and scarcely missed. J*ray that the 
saints shall guide us to the land of Bimini and to that 
wondrous fountain of perpetual youth ! " 

'' Indeed, good Knight," replied his companion. " I, 
also, see this vision. It may be a mirage, but I feel 
that soon we shall find this country of which the 
natives tell. Let us be optimistic ! " 

Next day the vessels were headed towards the north, 
and, with a stiff breeze filling the bellying canvas, made 
progress onward. During the night, the sailors of De 
Leon's caravel heard the distant booming of breakers, 
and awakened their leader. The good knight called to 
his sailing-master to make soundings, which showed that 
they were in shallow water. So the anchors were let 
go, the sails were furled, and the vessels lay waiting for 
the coming of the day. 

Dawn reddened in the east, and, far to the north and 
south of the anchorage, stretched a multitude of sand 
dunes. The surging billows of the Atlantic threw 
white wisps of spray upon a long yellowish beach, be- 
yond which was a backgi-ound of dark green forests. 
From the masthead a sailor called out that he saw a 
winding river, coursing through grassy marshes, which 



70 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

grew broad and green-gray as it reached the ocean. It 
was Palm Sunday, March the 27th., 1512, so the Cas- 
tilians sang the Te Dcum and, with ringing cheers, 
gave voice to their pleasure in hnding the fabled land 
of Florida, 

When the vessels neared the beach, next day, the 
adventurers saw that there was little here but a succes- 
sion of sand hills. So the Spaniards coasted along by 
the booming surf and at length reached a sheltered bay 
which they called the Bay of the Holy Cross. Many 
native canoes were seen disappearing into narrow 
creeks among the marshes, so it was apparent that the 
Indians had no desire to become acquainted with these 
strange mariners in the queer-shaped caravels. The 
ships anchored and that night De Leon called his cap- 
tains and lieutenants on board his flag ship for coun- 
sel. It was decided that on the morning a landing 
should be made, in force, and tliat foiTual possession 
should be taken of this soil in the name of King Fer- 
dinand of Spain. 

The next morning was the second of April, a time 
when the foliage of Florida is at its best. As day 
crept on, boats were lowered along the sloping sides of 
the little caravels, which rapidly filled with armored 
men upon whose greaves and breast-plates the sunlight 
flashed and gleamed with silvery reflections in the 
green-black water. Waving plumes and crimson scarfs 
tossed in the morning breeze, while high above all 
gleamed the golden cross borne by the Chaplain, good 
Father Antonio. The commander had decreed that all 
should appear in the best of armor and equipment so 



JUAN PONCE DE LEON 71 

that the honor due the King of Spain by his followers 
should be ample and sufficient. 

The tide being full, the boats landed high up on the 
shore, Ponce De Leon leading the way, and being the 
first to step upon the soil which would thenceforth be 
his by decree of his Sovereign. Halting, the cavalier 
waited for Father Antonio with his cross, before which, 
on bended knee, he gave thanks to God for His gi'eat 
mercy in bringing him safely to this goodly land. 

Now all disembarked, and, while trumpets sounded 
and drums beat, formed a procession headed by the 
priests, the cross, and Ponce de Leon with his banner. 
Marching to the roll of drum and the blare of bugle, the 
cavalcade went some distance up the beach to a spot 
where the priests had erected the chapel altar, decorated 
with sacred emblems and votive offerings. This was 
in the square of an Indian village. The golden cross 
was placed in a position facing the morning sun and 
the soldiers knelt in a semi-circle around it, as service 
was held to commemorate this auspicious event. 

Save for the deep booming of the sea, and the song 
of a mocking bird, tliere was silence. The Indians 
peered at the strange sight from behind trees and 
bushes in the neighboring forest, and, perceiving that 
the fair-skinned strangers were engaged in some cere- 
mony or proceedings, they looked upon the crouching 
Spaniards with expressions of awe. 

The mass was soon ended, and Ponce de Leon took 
formal possession of the country in the name of his 
sovereign, proclaiming himself, by virtue of the royal 
authority, Adclantodo of the Laud of Florida. Then 



72 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

a fanfare of trumpets rent the air, mingled with the 
cheers of the soldiers. 

A small stone pillar was now set up, which had been 
brought from Porto Rico for that purpose, and upon 
which was carved a cross, the royal arms, and an in- 
scription reciting the discovery of Florida and its pos- 
session by the Cro\\Ti of Spain. 

Although De Leon felt that he was really the first 
Spaniard to find this country, such was really not the 
case, for the outline of the peninsula is plainly drawn in 
an old map published in the year 1502. To this dis- 
covery little attention seems to have been paid at the 
time, for it was a period when explorers were most 
anxious to find gold and pearls and there was nothing 
to fix particular attention to this new coast. Thus 
Ponce de Leon's vaunted first vision was really a re- 
discovery of what an earlier and equally valiant Cas- 
tilian had seen. 

The Spaniards, who had landed, it seems, not far 
from the site of St. Augustine, found, when they at- 
tempted to search for the Fountain of Perpetual 
Youth, that the natives did not have quite as good an 
opinion of their mission as they could wish. 

After they had sailed from the Bay of the Holy 
Cross the wise men of the Indian village concluded 
that the stone pillar represented something inimical 
to their own rights of possession, so they had it taken 
to the deepest part of the bay and there thrown over- 
board. Previous to this they had vigorously protested 
against the invasion of their peaceful country. Yet no 
blows had been struck. 



JUAN PONCE DE LEON 73 

The caravels headed down the coast with fair wind 
behind them and, not far from the southern point of the 
island, which formed the seaward barrier of the Bay of 
the Holy Cross, they saw a curious spot upon the sur- 
face of the sea where the water boiled like a caldron, or 
as if some mighty fountain flowed upward from a hole 
in the bed of the ocean. This is a natural well in the 
Atlantic, quite similar to those on land, and can still be 
seen by sailors off the Florida coast. There were great 
schools of fish nearby, and many were captured in nets 
as the vessels drifted slowly upon their course. 

The voyagers coasted along the low-lying shore, ad- 
miring the view, and finally saw a canoe approaching 
in which was a handsome youth, the messenger from a 
native chieftain Sannatowah. Ho bore a missive to 
the effect that, if the strangers came in peace, he was 
ready to meet them in the same spirit, also ; but if they 
came not with such intent^ it would be best for them to 
remain on board their floating houses, for there were 
as many warriors in the land as there were palm trees 
in the forests. 

" How shall it be known whether we come in peace 
or in war ? " asked Ponce de Leon. 

" By this," answered the herald, touching the bow 
which was slung over his shoulder, " if it be war. 
Or this," laying his hand upon a green branch thrust 
in his girdle, " if it be peace. There are eagle eyes 
watching on yonder shore, and, whichever I hold up, 
the message goes straight to Sannatowah ! " 

" And if I let you make no sign nor go back, what 
then?" 



74 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS. 

" War ! " was the answer. 

A smile came to the serious countenance of the 
Spanish seeker for the Fountain of Youth as he 
said: 

" I pray thee, then, young sea eagle, go to the prow of 
my ship and hold up the green bough of peace. I 
pledge you my sacred word that there shall be peace 
between thy people and mine as long as it is in my 
power to have it so. Tell me if there be any answer 
from the shore and if all is well. Tarry with us, so as 
to be our herald to your cacique." 

As he ceased speaking, the youthful Indian went for- 
ward, and, standing upon the bowsprit, waved his 
green branch first towards the south, next to the north, 
and then towards the sky. This over, he came back to 
the after deck, saying: 

" All is well. Saunatowah and his people will greet 
you as friends and as guests." 

The Spaniards soon went ashore, greeted the Indian 
chieftain, and were told by him that, two days' easy 
journey to the westward, lay several great springs and 
a mighty river, the beginning and end of which was 
unknown to him. One of these springs, said he, was 
in the territory of a tribe with which they were now 
at war ; but, when he was a youth, there had been peace, 
and he had often visited it. This spring was deemed 
to be sacred. It was a great fountain which welled up 
from the depths of the earth and was apparently bot- 
tomless. Its waters were as clear as azure, so that one 
could see far into the pearly depths. 

" I drank not of it," he continued, " for the wise men 



JUAN PONCE DE LEON 75 

of the trilKi said that it was forbidden bv the CI rout 
Spirits, exwpt to one of the tribe iu whoso hmd it was. 
The fountain is iu the country of Toirosta." 

l^onco do Loon tarriod quiotly in tlio bay for several 
days; but tinally huided his men, in order to travel to 
tlio phice where hiy this wondrous fountain. He had 
ten horses on the caravels and one nuile. These were 
lowered overlxiard and swmn asliore, which occasioned 
nuich surprise and astonishmeut among the natives, 
who viewed these strange aninuds with both fear and 
distrust. 

When Father Antonio's long-eared nude climbed 
from tlio ocean and struck the solid earth with his 
hoofs (the first of his kind to come to Florida) and then 
opened his mouth for one long, piercing bray, all the 
natives took to the woikIs in impulsive flight. It was 
some time before they dared to return. 

Sannatowah was eager to befriend De Leon, and sent 
him guides to pilot him to the place where lay the great 
river and the crystal spring; and, although usually 
avei-se to such labor, a number of redskins went along 
as porters, agi'ceing of their on\ti free will to go at least 
as far as tlieir o\vn boundaries. Everything was soon 
ready, the trumpets blared out their clarion notes of 
warning, and the march began. 

Through forests of gi-eat oaks, magnolias and palm 
trees which hung with streamers of long, gray moss 
and matted vines, the Spaniard wended their way, 
startling many a shy deer frcnn the leafy coverts 
and once or twice a great browni l^ear, which lumbered 
away, snorting with fear. ^Im'king birds trilled at 



76 FA^IOUS DISCOVERERS 

them from leafy branches, and squirrels chattered and 
scolded from fallen tree trunks. 

Carrying his helmet at his saddle-bow, so that he 
might feel the refreshing breeze, De Leon rode at the 
head of the little column of horse and foot until they 
came to a place in the forest where a great tree lay 
prostrate over the traih 

" This," said the native guides, " is the border of our 
lands. Beyond is Tegesta. We can go no farther, 
for, while the flower of peace ^ blooms, there is a truce 
between ourselves and those who live beyond." 

So the Spaniards made camp, but next morning they 
pressed onward into the wilderness, and, passing 
around a great cypress swamp, suddenly came upon an 
Indian village named Colooza, near a large lake. They 
were met with a shower of arrows, but, clapping spurs 
to their horses, soon drove the redskins behind a rude 
stockade which surrounded their thatched huts. 

De Leon flung himself from his horse, and, regard- 
less of the arrows which were singing around him and 
were glancing from his steel breast-plate, he led a 
charge upon the gate, with a wild cry of " St. lago and 
at them ! " With his battle-ax he swept an entrance 
to the palisade, and then, dashing in, followed by his- 
men, the village was soon cleared of all but five of the 
native Floridians. These, apparently awed by the 
in^'ulnerability of their opponents, gave in and sur- 
rendered. They were compelled to go along with the 
Spaniards as guides. 

1 A small star-like flower growing close to the ground and 
blooming through the planting season, when the redskins laid 
warfare aside. 



JUAN PONCE DE LEON 77 

Passing through a country of well-tilled fields and 
gardens, where were picturesque clusters of native 
houses, the discoverers came to the waters of a great 
lake which was so wide that the woods were scarcely dis- 
tinguishable upon the opposite shore. This was Lake 
Munroe, a broad expanse of the St. Johns River, which 
enters it at one end and flows from it at the other. De 
Leon here halted, sending the captured natives onward 
to find the chief of this country, telling them to assure 
him that the white men were peacefully inclined and 
were in search of the fabled and mystical Fountain of 
Perpetual Youth, which they had heard was in the ter- 
ritory over which he held dominion. 

At nightfall, one of these native runners appeared at 
the camp, bearing the reply of the great chief Olatheta, 
which was that he was delighted to leai-n that the 
strangers did not wish to war with him and requested 
that their leader should meet him at the council house 
upon the following day. 

Ponce de Leon was overjoyed. Now he was near- 
ing his goal, for he believed that the Fountain of Per- 
petual Youth lay only a few leagues before him. 
Eagerly he awaited the morrow, and, at the time set for 
the advance, heralds came from Olatheta to conduct the 
Spaniards to their chieftain. 

The Castilians soon came upon a great collection of 
dwellings, many of which were quite large, and before 
the largest of all was the chieftain with his principal 
men. As they entered the town, the signal was given 
for the trumpeters to blow and the drums to beat. This 
caused great fear among the natives so that many ran 



78 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

away; but, seeing that there were no signs of hostility 
on the part of the strangers, they resumed their wonted 
attitude of stoical reserve. 

" Pray, why have you come to this country ? " 
asked Olatheta. " Aio you peaceful, or are you war- 
like?" 

Ponce de Leon bowed. 

" I am the servant of a Great King beyond the 
water," said he, " and he has given me the Governor- 
ship of these islands. So I have brought with me a 
holy man to teach you the true religion, and, as I have 
heard that yon have here the Fountain of Perpetual 
Youth, I would like to visit it and to drink of its won- 
derous waters." 

Olatheta smiled, as he answered : 

" There is a great fountain near at hand, which we 
all reverence and hold sacred. Yet, because my people 
have transgressed the proper laws of our tribe, the 
Great Spirit has taken much of its virtue from it. If, 
however, you wish to visit it, I will willingly accom- 
pany you. This holy man of yours may induce the 
great God to restore its power, which will be such a 
great blessing to my people that they will all rejoice at 
your coming, instead of being angry with you, as many 
are now, because of your attack upon Colooza." 

"Let us journey to this spring iraracdiatoly," said 
De Leon with enthusiasm. " Good chieftain, lead 
on!" 

Olatheta arose, and, beckoning to the Spaniards to 
attend him, walked rapidly away. The Castilians fol- 
lowed, surrounded by a vast multitude of natives, who 



JUAN PONCE DE LEON 79 

crowded around them in wonder and curiosity. As 
thoy wound through the thickets, Father Antonio's 
mulo startled ever)^ one with a series of the most ear- 
piercing brays, which caused an instant panic among 
the Indians, coupled with loud laugher from the sol- 
diers. 

" By the Saint of San Sebastian," cried a Sergeant, 
called Bartola, " were that mule mine and were this 
indeed the fountain whereof we are in search, I should 
sec to it that he drank not a drop of its waters." 

" Why so? " asked a smiling comrade. 

" Why ? A pretty question truly. Because there 
would be no place for any sound on earth, if the waters 
would have such virtue to increase vigor as they are 
said to have. All would have to fly before the thun- 
derous braying of yonder ass." 

Tho cavalcade passed onward, and, nearing a grove 
of stately trees, the eager Spaniards saw a fountain such 
as they had never seen before in any other land. There 
was a brim as round as a huge cup, and inside were 
waters as clear as crystal, which boiled up from depths 
lost in inky shadows, and ran over the edge into a little 
water course, which gushed and bubbled towards the 
lake. 

*' Hurrah ! " cried the eager De Leon. " It must in- 
deed bo tho Fountain of Youth! Hurrah! Hurrah! 
Hurrah!" 

The day was a beautiful one. Bright birds darted 
from tho waving branches, the sun shouo brilliantly 
upon the armor of the Spanish adventurers, as, with the 
horsemen in advance, clad with plumed helmets, silver 



80 FA^^IOUS DISCOVERERS 

shields, upon which were emblazoned red lious, and 
with sword and battle-axe clanking against their ar- 
mored legs, the Spaniards neared the gushing waters 
of the fountain. 

In front of all was the good Father Antonio, who, 
holding with one hand the bridle-rein of his dun-brown 
mule, raised the other in blessing. The Indians 
crowded around him, awed by the sonorous Latin, and, 
as he finished his benediction, Olatlieta stepped forward 
and filled an earthen cup, which he had brought, with 
water dipped from the fountain. Turning about he 
handed it to Ponce de Leon. 

Smiling, and with a trembling hand, the good knight 
raised the cup to his lips. The cool liquid gurgled 
do^^^l his bronzed and weather-beaten throat. Yet — 
oh ! sad and distrejarrng to relate ! Xo part of his griz- 
zled exterior changed to the freshness of youth. 

As he was raising this goblet to his lips, his com- 
panions rushed tumultuously to the fountain and buried 
their heated faces in the clear and sparkling water. 
They drank deeply, and in silence awaited the begin- 
ning of miracles, each with eager eyes fixed upon his 
neighbor. 

Again, alas! The miracles came not Beards of 
grizzly gray remained the same. Wrinkles did not dis- 
appear, and stiffened joints still moved with the same 
lack of spring as of yore. Alack and aday ! ! The 
fountain had lost its charm and was not the fabled 
water of perpetual youth. 

The silence was broken by the solemn voice of Father 
Antonio : 



JUAN PONCE DE LEON 81 

" God's will be done ! " cried he. '" Blessed be His 
holy name ! " 

In sorrow and with downcast faces, the Spaniards 
turned about, and wearily, dejectedly, mournfully, 
wended their way back to the camp of the friendly 
Olatheta. 

The good Knight Ponce de Leon traveled through 
much of this beautiful land of Florida, fought many a 
stitT tight with the native inhabitants, and finally sailed 
back to the isle of Porto Rico, bearing marvelous tales 
of this land of promise, but no water which would 
restore the aged to youth and beauty. He jour- 
neyed to Spain, was received right gi'aciously by the 
King, and cimie back to his island home, expect- 
ing to remain there in peaceful pursuits, until his de- 
mise. 

Yet, still hoping to find that mystical and fabled 
fountain, he finally fitted out two caravels, and, with a 
larger force than had followed his banner in the first 
expedition, resolved to again explore the western coast 
of beautiful Florida. 

This jouniey was to be his undoing. At every point 
naked savages fought desperately against his mailed 
warriors. In one of these encounters he was attempt- 
ing to rescue one of his comrades, when he was hit by 
an arrow in the thigh. The barb penetrated the pro- 
tecting armor to the bone. He was rescued by his 
faithful followers and was carried to his ship, weak 
and fainting from the loss of bldod. It is said by some, 
that, although the arrow was withdrawn, a part of the 



82 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

arrow-head, which was of fliut, did not come wholly 
away. 

Suffering and delirious, the brave old navigator was 
borne to the harbor of Matanzas in Cuba, where was a 
settlement which he, himself, had founded. His ad- 
venturous companions lifted the pallet upon which he 
lay on the upper deck, where the cooling breezes might 
alleviate his fever, lowered it into a boat, and, when 
the shore was reached, carried him tenderly into an 
unfinished house, which he was having constructed. 
They brought his suit of mail, his banner, and his 
sword, placing them around him so that he might feel at 
home. Delirium now seized the care-worn explorer, 
and thus he lay for days, as, in fancy he saw himself a 
boy again, climbing the bold rocks of the Sierras after 
young eagles, contending in the courtyard with his 
brothers, or chasing the brown deer in the leafy forests. 

Then the camp and battle scenes passed before his 
eager vision ; voyages over vast seas among beauteous 
islands; expeditions through palms and moss-grown 
mimosas; journeying to the villages of brown-skinned 
natives. 

One night, peace came to the old warrior, and there 
was weeping and sorrow among his staunch and battlo- 
scarred companions. 

They carried the body of the good knight to the Isle 
of Porto Rico, where they first gave him a sepulchre 
within the castle, but eventually his ashes were de- 
posited beneath the high altar of the Dominican 
cliurc'h in San Juan do Peurto Kico, where they rested 
for more than three hundred years. 




J LAN I'O.NCh. Dl. UJJS AT THK FOUNTAIN ol M)i | n 



JUAN PONCE DE LEON 83 

When the American forces invaded the country in 
1898, and took it away from the rule of Castile, his 
remains were placed beneath a monument, upon which 
was carved the trite but appropriate saying: 

" This narrow grave contains the remains of a man 
who was a lion by name, and much more so by nature." 



VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA: 

DISCOVERER OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 
(1475-1517) 



A sob and a moan from the ocean; a voice from the 

swaying palm. 
An a parroquetj bnlliant with spangles, chatters and 

clatters alarm. 
For a man stands gazing seaward, a vfumi who is pale 

and worn. 
With a lean hand shading his forehead, a doublet faded 

and torn. 
" I take you, O brilliant waters, for the King and 

Queen of Castile 
And I name you the Southern Ocean, Ye must know 

how joyous I feel. 
For, from lands that are distant and foreign, I sailed 

to vieiv and explore. 
And what I have seen is o'er powering; what I behold, 

I adore." 
And the parroquet chattered and scolded, and the 

waters lay calm and gray. 
As Balboa, who found the Pacific, gazed and dreamed 

through the da/y. 



VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA: 

DISCOVERER OF THE PACIFIC OCEAN. 

(1475-1517) 

IT is something to be a discoverer of anything. It 
must give the one who has that happy fate a great 
thrill of satisfaction. He should know that his 
name will go down to history as a man of particular 
eminence. Yet, do you think that any of these early 
Spanish voyagers held that thought ? I doubt whether 
either De Soto, or Balboa, ever had any extraordinary 
feeling of elation when they had feasted their eyes 
upon the two great sheets of water, which, as far as we 
know, they were the first white men to set eyes upon j 
the first, the Mississippi ; the second, the vast Pacific 
Ocean. 

Once I thought that I had discovered a wide plateau 
upon the summit of the Rockies. I knew that I was 
in an im explored region which had never been mapped, 
and, as I scrambled to a high eminence to look down 
upon the headwater of a curving stream, I turned to 
my companion, exclaiming: 

"This is magnificent! We are turning our eyes 
upon a scene of verdant beauty upon which no one but 
llic v.'ild Cheyenne, or roving lllackfoot warrior has ever 

87 



88 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

gazed before I I feel thrilled ! I feel awed I I feel 
in the same way that Columbus must have felt, 
when — " 

" He saw that tomato can lying down there in that 
sage bush," interrupted my companion, dryly, and 
sure enough — some accursed white man had been there 
before me I It was a drop from the sublime to the 
ridiculous ! 

But Vasco Nunez de Balboa, when he stood upon 
the shores of the Pacific, was aware that he was the first 
Spaniard to set eyes upon this particular sheet of water, 
because he had learned from the Indians that such an 
ocean existed, and, so far, no explorer had yet come to 
Spain who had brought word of it. The accounts of 
the scene say that he was thrilled and awed by the 
vision which came to him, and that, realizing, when 
approaching the water, that he was about to view an 
ocean which no other European had ever seen, he left 
his party behind him, so that no one else should share 
his honor. This shows a selfishness which is quite 
characteristic of these early Spanish adventurers and 
discoverers. 

Balboa was not only selfish, but he was also daring. 
He was likewise a fellow of considerable humor, as 
the following incident will illustrate. 

The adventurer and explorer was tall, red-headed 
and athletic. He had come from a good family in 
Spain, and, when a young man, had emigrated to the 
New World, where he had settled as a farmer in His- 
paniola. Here he was soon overwhelmed with debt, as 
he was loose and prodigal in his habits. His creditors 



VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA 89 

pressed him severely and it came to be quite a problem 
with him how to escape these persons who were hound- 
ing his trail. But he was clever, and eluded their 
watchfulness by having himself hauled in a cask from 
his farm to a vessel, which was about to set sail. As 
this barrel was supposed to contain provisions, he was 
soon safely out to sea. The contents of that cask were 
the most animated that the sailors had ever seen, and, 
when the stowaway gained the deck, shouting : " Good 
morning, Senors, I am going to be one of you hence- 
forth," the Spanish stevedores nearly fainted from sur- 
prise. 

In those days the Spaniards were continually mak- 
ing new settlements near the Isthmus of Panama, and 
the venturesome Balboa had fallen in with a body of 
adventurers who settled at Darien, a native village upon 
the east coast of the Isthmus and near a great bay. 
There were many natives at this town when the Castil- 
ians arrived, but, although they put up a sharp fight 
in order to protect their village and their possessions, 
they were routed by the navigators, who seized their 
village, with a large quantity of food and cotton, and 
also a great mass of gold ornaments, worth fifty thou- 
sand dollars. This place seemed to be healthy and fer- 
tile, so, from this time forth, it became the headquarters 
of the Spaniards in the New World. 

As has seemed to be perpetually the case in Spanish 
America, when these settlers were not fighting Indians, 
they were fighting among themselves. There were two 
Governors in the country, at this period, who had the 
sweet-sounding names of Encisco and Nicuesa, and, as 



90 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

is customary with Spanish-American potentates, they 
were soon at daggers' points with one another. 

Balboa carefully stirred up the resentment between 
them, hoping that there would come a revolution, after 
which he would step into the Governorship, himself. 
Encisco declared that he had control over the town and 
citizens of Darien, but Balboa contented that Darien 
was situated in the territory assigned to Nicuesa and 
that Encisco had no authority there, whatsoever. 
Stirred by the speeches of this cask-traveler, the Spanish 
adventurers refused obedience to the pompous Encisco. 

Some one, at this moment, sent to Nombre de Dies, 
another settlement on the coast, and advised Xicuesa 
to come down to Darien in order to act as Governor. 
Balboa stirred up a revolution against him, while he 
was on his way, declaring that his reputation was that 
of a harsh administrator, that he ruled in a very high- 
banded fashion, and that he would be a worse ruler 
than Encisco. 

The hot Spanish blood began to boil in the inhabit- 
ants of Darien, and had soon boiled to such a pitch 
that, when Nicuesa sailed into the harbor, he was greeted 
by an angry rabble who yelled at him derisively, re- 
fused to receive him as governor, and, when he at- 
tempted to march into the city, attacked him with 
swords and drove him into the woods. 

To the credit of Balboa be it said that he now inter- 
ceded for the poor fellow, so that no actual harm was 
done him, and, since he refused to return to Nombre 
de Dies, he was presented with the worst vessel in the 
harbor and the most unseaworthy, in which to return 



VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA 91 

to Spain. This he did with a few faithful followers, 
and was never heard of again in the New World. 

Now see how the crafty Vasco Nuiicz de Balboa prof- 
ited by this little revolution, for, having deposed one 
of the governors, and having sent away the other, the 
irascible inhabitants of the country chose Balboa and 
a man named Lamudio to rule them as magistrates. 

Encisco was, of course, furious at this and shortly 
sailed to Spain in order to plead his own cause before 
the King; but Balboa was not to be caught napping. 
He dispatched his friend, Lamudio, along at the same 
time in order to offset the pleas of the angry Encisco, 
and, to further aid and abet his own cause, secretly 
loaded him with a sound sum of gold with which to 
ease the palm of the royal treasurer in old Madrid. He 
was crafty, as you can well appreciate. 

What do you think of this fellow now? From be- 
ing a mere stowaway, and an outcast who was hunted 
by his creditors and head over heels in debt, this ad- 
venturous Spaniard, at one bound had risen to be a gov- 
ernor and commander of troops. And in this new role 
he showed marked ability, for he not only led his men 
well against the native chiefs, but also managed to gain 
the confidence of these wild inhabitants of the Isthmus, 
so that, one after another, they became his friends and 
his allies. 

Balboa kept up his expeditions into the unknown in- 
terior and more than once was told that a vast ocean 
lay beyond the mountains which jutted up from the 
tableland of the central portion of this strip of country 
between North and South America. Several natives 



92 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

spoke of a gray, glittering body of water, quite differ- 
ent from the Atlantic. The Indians said that " it was 
far away," so, as Balboa anticipated a long journey 
to see and make certain of the native tales, he deter- 
mined to ask assistance from the King of Spain. In 
spite of the fact that he was really a rebel and was 
ruling over a colony of revolutionists, we find that he 
actually did send a letter to Ferdinand, asking for a 
thous5Uid men to be dispatched to him, so that he might 
undertake the discovery of this fabled ocean. lie was 
careful to send along some gold, for nothing spoke 
more loudly with the Spanish sovereign than this. 

The ambitious Balboa waited patiently for a reply 
from far distant Spain ; but, before it came, he received 
a very disquieting epistle from Lamudio, his faithful 
friend whom he had dispatched to court to plead his 
cause. Alas! Ferdinand had heard the complaint of 
the outraged Encisco and had given judgment in his 
favor against the upstart and revolutionist, Nunez de 
Balboa. Worse yet! The adventurous Governor of 
Darien was to be summoned to Spain in order that he 
might answer to the King for his treatment of Nicucsa. 

Balboa heard this with regret, also with some anger. 
He was clever enough to see that only one course could 
save him, and that was to act promptly, and at once; 
to find this ocean, and to travel to Spain with the news 
of this discovery, first hand. He knew King Ferdi- 
nand well enough to believe that, if successful in this 
venture, displeasure would be turned into favor. The 
royal order had not yet come — he was still free — so 
he determined to waste no moment in idleness. 



VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA 93 

This was to be no child's play, for dense tropical 
forests were in front of him; lofty mountain ranges; 
and deep rivers. There were also vindictive Indian 
tribes in the path, and warriors who had no love for 
those mail-clad white-skins. Balboa had less than two 
hundred soldiers and these were not properly armed, 
yet, should he stay where he was, ruin stared him in 
the face and disgrace confronted him. It was for- 
ward and success, or a future of oblivion in old Ma- 
drid. 

The morning of the first day of September, 1513, 
da^vnied bright and sunny upon the harbor of Darien, 
as a small fleet of vessels sailed away, with Balboa 
in command. With them were several savage blood- 
hounds with which to chase and terrorize the Indians, 
and also a number of friendly natives who were to act 
as guides and interpreters. The journey up the coast 
was uneventful, and, having finally arrived at Coyba, 
the domain of a friendly chief, the soldiers were dis- 
embarked, the march was commenced, and all struck 
off cheerfully towards the high mountains which could 
be seen towering up in the interior. It was hot and 
the men suffered from the torrid blaze, because of their 
armor and steel caps. 

Keeping on, and struggling through the tropic veg- 
etation, the expedition made good progress, and reached 
a native village from which the inhabitants had fled 
as soon as they had learned of the approach of these 
adventurers. But it was quite necessary to obtain 
guides who knew the wilderness in front, so Balboa sent 
some of his Indians to find the chieftain, who had dis- 



94 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

appeared from this pleasantly situated little collection 
of huts. The chief was not far away and allowed the 
native path-finders to approach without waylaying them. 
He was later persuaded to visit the camp of the Span- 
iards, and, after he had been feasted, consented to fur- 
nish the eager Castilians with trained men who could 
pilot them through the country. 

" There," said he, pointing to a lofty ridge, " is a 
mountain from the top of which one may see the great 
waters upon the other side." 

Balboa's eyes sparkled, for he was now within strik- 
ing distance of his goal and he saw success written upon 
the banner, which, waving aloft, carried the blazoned 
arms of Castile. A number of the men were ill and 
exhausted, so they were sent back. The remainder 
were eager to get on, so, with renewed courage, the 
Spaniards again pressed through the tropic foliage and 
tangled undcrgi'owth. 

Advancing for about thirty miles, they came to the 
territory of a chieftain who was a deadly enemy of the 
native whose country they had just traversed. He at- 
tacked the small Spanish band with vindictive fury. 
The natives advanced with a great show of confidence, 
— yelling, screeching, and discharging a veritable 
shower of arrows. The first boom from the old-time 
gims made them cease their yelping and stop still. 
The Castilians now advanced for a little sword-work, 
but they were to find no brave foe who would engage 
in combat. The Indians fled. As they did so, the 
bloodhounds were let go and many of the redskins were 
overtaken and worried to death bv these ferocious ani- 



VASCO NUNEZ DE BAJLBOA 95 

mals. In the native village was found a large quantity 
of both gold and jewels. 

Some of the Castilians had been struck by arrows, 
so they were now left behind. The rest pressed on, 
for they had reached the foot of the large mountain 
from the top of which the friendly chief had declared 
that one could view the vast expanse of water beyond. 
All were cheerful and sang songs from old Madrid in 
order to make the journey a more joyous one. 

That night they camped near a spring of crystal water 
and in the morning emerged from the forest at the foot 
of an eminence from which their friends, the natives, 
told them that they could see the ocean. 

Now note how Balboa did the same thing which an- 
other explorer was criticized for doing many years 
later. He left his party behind, in order that no one 
might share the honor of discovery, and climbed alone 
to the mountain top. Up, up, he clambered, and at 
last stood upon the summit. Hurrah! he had found 
what he had suffered great hardship and privation 
to find. There before his eager gaze lay another 
ocean. 

The adventurous explorer sank upon the soil and 
feasted his eyes upon the scene. Beyond a wide, in- 
tervening belt of rocks and forest, and seen through 
the swaying branches of green savannah trees, was that 
vast, mysterious ocean of which Columbus had heard, 
but which no European had yet beheld. It lay there 
gleaming, glistening, rising and falling, beckoning to 
the adventurous to sail upon its surface and find dan- 
ger, — and treasure. 



96 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

Balboa reclined there for a long time, dreaming, 
speculating, and thanking his lucky star that he had 
at last seen this once fabled sheet of water, for now he 
could go before King Ferdinand and be sure of a cor- 
dial reception. Then he arose and climbed down the 
side of the mountain to where his followers lay drows- 
ing. 

" Come, men ! " he cried. " I have found it, the Mai 
de Sur (Southern Ocean)." 

The men scrambled to the summit in no time, and, 
when they, too, saw the gray, rolling billows, they set 
up a wild cheering. The Te Deum was chanted, a cross 
was erected, and, from this lofty eminence, Balboa 
cried out that he took possession of this sheet of water, 
with all of its islands and surrounding lands, in the 
name of his master, the King of Spain. Then again 
a hymn was sung and all clambered down to the low- 
land where they feasted right merrily. It had been 
an eventful hour for these hard-marching, hard-man- 
nered swashbucklers from Darien. 

This was the twenty-sixth day of September, 1513, 
a day to be long remembered by Balboa, for he felt a 
great weight lifted from his shoulders as he thought of 
that letter which Lamudio had sent all the way from 
Spain. His men had taken twenty days in crossing a 
strip of territory scarcely forty miles in width, so you 
can well imagine how tangled must have been this 
tropic underbrush. Yet, unmindful of their hard- 
ships, they now set forth to journey to the very sea- 
coast, and to there touch the water of this newly dig- 
covered Mai de Sur. 




BALBOA TAKING I'OSSKSSKJX OK TIIIC I'Al ll-U CM K A N I 
TDK KING OK SPAIN 



VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA 97 

The Castilians descended the slope of the high moun- 
tains and sought for the rich kingdoms of which they 
had heard the natives speak. But they found nothing 
remarkable save some wild thickets and impenetrable 
bogs. 

Finally they passed through the territory of a war- 
like chieftain who came out to stop their progress and 
forbade them to set foot within his dominions. He 
drew up his followers in close array, and seemed to be 
quite willing to fight; but a volley from the arque- 
busiers scattered his followers like chaff before the wind. 
The chieftain soon gave himself up, and, in order to 
gain the favor of the Spaniards, brought them a quan- 
tity of gold. This pleased Balboa greatly and he tar- 
ried in the native village for several days. 

Then separate parties were dispatched to the sea 
in order to find the best route by which it could be 
approached. One of these bands, in which was a fel- 
low named Alouzo Martin, reached the water before 
any one else, and at a place where were several canoes. 
Alonzo jumped into one of these, and, pushing it into 
the waves, cried out to his companions : 

" See, my friends, I am the first European to ever 
sail upon the new ocean." 

Balboa followed soon afterwards, and, taking a ban- 
ner upon which was painted a picture of the Virgin 
and child, and under them the royal arms of Spain, 
drew his sword, waded to his knees in the water, and 
solemnly declared that this belonged to his sovereign, 
together with all the adjacent lands from pole to pole, 
as long as the world should endure and until the final 



98 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

day of judgment. Then he came back to the beach 
where his few followers cheered lustily. 

The climate was hot and muggy, but the Spaniards 
were keen and enterprising and soon had explored a 
considerable area. The Indians were friendly and gave 
them gifts of gold and pearls, of which a quantity was 
set aside for shipment to Spain. Stories were told by 
the natives of a country far to the south where was more 
gold than could be ever seen in this particular land. 
The chattering brown-skinned Indians also spoke of 
animals, resembling a deer, which the southern people 
used for transporting their luggage. They showed the 
Spaniards a figure molded in clay which was said to 
be the baggage-bearer of these natives to the south. It 
seemed to be somewhat like a deer and somewhat like 
a camel in appearance, in fact, was the llama, which 
Pizarro later came upon in far-distant Peru. The 
tales of this country and these animals stirred up 
many thoughts in the active mind of Balboa, and he 
conceived the idea of sailing to that mysterious realm 
and taking possession of it, even as he had seized the 
Isthmus of Panama. 

The Spaniards had now seen about all that was to be 
seen, and it was time to march across the mountains 
towards Darien. With their usual cheerfulness the 
adventurers started for their home port, carrying along 
a great quantity of gold and pearls, and also a stock 
of provisions, which was transported by friendly na- 
tives. But, as they tramped into the country, they se- 
cured more gold, and, because they loaded the Indians 
with this instead of with food, they came near dying 



VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA 99 

of hunger. They met many hostile chiefs, among whom 
was a fellow who had eighty wives. He was called 
Tubanama, and, although he put up a stiff fight for his 
freedom, he was captured. His people ransomed him 
by means of many golden ornaments, and, thus ap- 
peased, the Castilians marched onward, naming this 
country Panama, after the wily chieftain. 

Balboa was now prostrated by fever and had to be 
borne along in a hammock by the natives. The heat 
and humidity of the swampy country caused many of 
his followers to become ill and this delayed the march. 
Still, the little caravan kept on, and, on the eighteenth 
day of January, reached Darien, after an absence of 
four and a half months in this journey of exploration. 
The entire population turned out to welcome the dis- 
coverer of the Pacific, who returned laden with pearls, 
golden ornaments and plates of embossed silver. There 
was also a long train of captive natives who followed in 
the rear. The trip had been a glorious success and all 
cheered lustily for Balboa: adventurer, explorer, and 
first European to view the Pacific Ocean. 

The time was now opportune for a missive to the 
King of Spain, for the adventurous explorer knew that 
Perdinand would not oust a man from office who had 
added such a vast domain to his possessions. So he 
dispatched a special envoy to Madrid, with a letter 
which gave a full account of this overland journey. He 
also added a gift of glittering pearls and one-fifth of 
the gold which he had secured, this being the regular 
tax which the Spanish government imposed upon all 
its subjects. 



100 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

The vessel was delayed in sailing, and the delay was 
fatal, for the King of Spain had resolved to appoint 
another Governor of Panama in place of Balboa, as 
he had listened to the story of Encisco and had decided 
that he had been very unjustly treated by this upstart 
from Ilispaniola, who had escaped from his debtors in 
a cask. A man named Pedrarias had been selected for 
the post and he was already on his way, accompanied 
by a host of adventurers who had heard that Darien 
was a country of enormous wealth. There were, in 
fact, fully two thousand men, who were eager for ad- 
venture in this new-found territory. 

Pedrarias, with his many followers, had scarcely 
put to sea, before a ship sailed into the harbor of Seville 
bearing the envoy from Balboa. He delivered his let- 
ters to Ferdinand, told him of the discovery of this 
wonderful new ocean, and presented the King with the 
golden vessels and trinkets which his faithful subject 
had sent him. 

The King opened his eyes in wonder and surprise. 
Why, he might have made an error after all ! This fel- 
low was a pretty good sort, — a discoverer of new 
territory, of a new ocean, indeed. He had also sent 
him considerable treasure. Well ! Well ! Well ! The 
King decided that he had acted somewhat hastily. He 
would send another missive to far-off Darien, and would 
make the excellent Balboa a colleague of Pedrarias, and 
entitled to equal honor. That would be proper recog^ 
nition for all that this man had done for the crown of 
Castile and should satisfy him, without a doubt. 

Meanwhile Pedrarias was sailing towards the Isthmus 



VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA 101 

and eventually landed at Darien, where, at the head of 
two thousand men in gorgeous array, he made a trium- 
phant entry into the town. 

The cavaliers from Spain had expected to find a bril- 
liant city, with food in abundance and treasure piled 
high on every side. Instead of this they found Balboa 
wearing a cotton suit and a Panama hat. His five hun- 
dred seasoned veterans were clad in loose cotton clothes, 
and were living in straw-thatched cabins on roots and 
cassava-bread. They also had no wine, but were drink- 
ing water. 

The newcomers were grievously disappointed at what 
they found here in the colony. The climate was hot 
and sticky and fever soon carried off a score of vic- 
tims. Others sickened and died of various complaints, 
so that, within a very short time, seven hundred of 
these dashing cavaliers had passed to the great beyond. 
A ship-load of the gay blades now sailed back to Spain, 
for they had seen all that they desired of this new 
country. Another ship-load soon followed them to 
Cuba. 

Several expeditions were sent into the interior after 
gold, but they suffered ill fortune. One of these par- 
ties was defeated by the warlike chieftain Tubanama. 
Another small army, sent out by Pedrarias, was over- 
whelmed and butchered to a man : only one small Indian 
boy escaping to tell the tale of the massacre. The 
friends of Balboa began to murmur against this newly- 
appointed Governor and to cry out, that, should their 
own leader be in control, there would be no such dis- 
asters. 



102 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

Pedrariaa realized that his own position was getting 
to be insecure, and decided that he had better form 
an alliance with Balboa by giving him one of his daugh- 
ters in marriage. He suggested this to his rival and 
the other accepted the offer gladly. Thus a written 
agreement was drawn up and signed by both parties 
whereby the young lady was to be joined in wedlock to 
Balboa just as soon as she could be brought from Spain. 
All now looked favorable for a peaceful rule in the 
Isthmus. 

Balboa's restless mind soon conceived the idea of 
another expedition, — or: a second journey to the Pa- 
cific coast. This he wished to explore, and, since there 
were no vessels upon the other side of the mountains, 
nor could he build any, should he attempt the feat, he 
decided to cut and shape the timbers on the Atlantic 
coast and to transport them across the Isthmus to the 
Pacific. A worthy undertaking and one which took 
great courage and perseverance ! Let us see how it 
came out ! 

The Spaniards set diligently to work and soon had 
shaped the timbers for two brigantines, with all the 
necessary spars and rigging. It was a stupendous un- 
dertaking to transport these to the other shore, yet the 
feat was accomplished. The timbers were carried over 
the mountains by the miserable natives, who had been 
enslaved by the greedy Castilians, and they did good 
work. Although hundreds perished on the journey, 
the fact gave their master little concern. 

Finally the caravan had arrived upon the Pacific 
coast, the ships were put together, and floated upon the 



VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA 103 

waters of the new-found ocean. Hurray! The first 
European vessel had been launched upon the far away 
Pacific and the proud flag of Spain floated from, her 
mast-head. 

Balboa and his compatriots boarded their ships and 
headed south, bound to sail to that far distant land of 
which the natives had told him. But stormy winds 
were met with, so the men put back, sailed to the 
point which they had started from, and determined to 
make two more vessels before they would again depart 
for the land of the llama and glittering gold. Alas! 
busy tongues had been working against Balboa since 
he had left Darien and it was to go ill with this intrepid 
explorer. 

The vessels were greatly in need of iron and of pitch, 
so it was decided to send across the mountains for these. 
Balboa, himself accompanied his men, and, as he ad- 
vanced through the forest, was met by a messenger who 
presented a letter from Governor Pedrarias. It was 
couched in the friendliest of terms and bade him come 
at once to Darien in order to confer with him upon 
matters of the utmost importance. Balboa smiled, for 
matters were apparently going well with him. 

The weak old Governor, however, had been stirred 
up by the enemies of the discoverer of the Pacific, to 
such a point, that he was in a fit of jealous rage. Some 
had told him that Balboa had no intention of marry- 
ing his daughter, as he was about to take unto himself 
an Indian girl as wife. Others whispered that he and 
his men were about to start an independent govern- 
ment on the Pacific coast and throw off their allegiance 



104 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

to the Spanish crown. Pedrarias determined to arrest 
this successful adventurer as soon as he should arrive. 

Balboa, meanwhile, was approaching the Atlantic 
sea-coast with a light heart, and a feeling that all would 
go well with him. What was his surprise when he was 
met by a cavalier called Pizarro, with an armed force, 
and was told that, by orders of the Governor, he was 
a prisoner. Yet he submitted quietly and was taken 
to Darien in irons. There he found that the irascible 
Governor had determined to try him for treason, and, 
if he could, to do away with him. 

A trial was soon held, and the venturesome naviga- 
tor was charged with treasonable intentions. There 
was no evidence against him that was not trumped-up 
for the occasion, yet he pleaded his innocence in 
vain. 

" How preposterous is this charge of my determina- 
tion to usurp the power here," said he. *' I have four 
vessels and three hundred devoted followers upon the 
other coast. Should I have so wished, I could have 
sailed away far beyond the Governor's reach, and could 
have founded a colony of mine own in far-distant Peru. 
My coming here is good evidence that I had no desire 
to disobey the summons of the Governor. I am in- 
nocent of these so-called offenses." 

In spite of all that he could say, the judges found 
him guilty, yet recommended mercy because of his 
wonderful discoveries and evident patriotism for Spain. 
The Governor, however, would entertain no suggestion 
of this nature. 

" If he is guilty, let him die, and the sooner the bet- 



VASCO NUNEZ DE BALBOA 105 

ter," said the irate Pedrarias, scowling. " To the block 
with him ! " 

So they took brave Balboa out and beheaded him in 
spite of all the renown which he had won. The dis- 
coverer of the Pacific met his end with calm indiffer- 
ence, and, as the news of this was borne to the people 
of Darien, many wept tears for the man who had 
founded their city and had brought much honor to the 
Spanish flag. Thus, in the very prime of his manhood, 
perished one of the greatest explorers which the world 
has produced, and, although he was foully and brutally 
murdered by his own people, his fame will last as long 
as men love those of courage, of daring, and of imagina- 
tion. 



HERNANDO COETES: 

CONQUEKOR OF MEXICO. 
(1485-1547) 



Lift high the golden goblets and quaff to our leader 

bold. 
Who came from Cuba's heated sands to gather Aztec 

gold. 
His heart was big with courage; with his hands he 

seized the helm. 
And he gathered the power and gained the dower of 

Montezuma's realm. 
The muffled war drums mocked him, from the top of 

the iL-hite stone wall. 
And the maddened priests reviled him as they heard 

his trumpets call. 
His Tla^caian allies trembled at the curse of the war- 
riors red. 
But the cry was ever "Onward! " to the city's fourv- 

tain head. 
To the top of the teocalli where the eagle banner floats. 
Where the evU gods are smiling and HuitzUopochlli 

gloals; 
Up! Up! our leader clambered. Up! Up! and won 

the prize. 
Hurrah ! Hurrah ! for Cortes! Come victors, drink 

as we me/ 

SoxG OF THE Spanish CAVAiiEBS, 1519. 



HERN^VXDO CORTES: 

COXQUEROR OF MEXICO. 

(14S5-154T) 

TO the brave belong the spoils. To him, who ven- 
tures much, sometimes comes a great reward. 
Here is the story of a man who determined 
to conquer an empire with but a handful of followers, — 
and accomplished his purpose. Although it seems to 
be a romance, it is a series of facts. Strange, wonder- 
ful, almost unbelievable, yet true ; for truth, they say, 
is sometimes stranger than tiction. Listen, then, to 
this tale of as valiant a soul as ever led lighting men on 
to victory! 

Lonff, lonff ago, when fat Kins Henry the Eie:hth 
ruled over Merrie England, and Charles the Fifth was 
King of Spain, there lived a young Spanish cavalier 
called Hernando Cortes. He was a wild youth and did 
not care for books or study. In fact, although his 
parents wished him to be a lawj'er and, when he was 
fourteen years of age. sent him to an excellent school, 
he would not learn his lessons imd so was asked to leave 
the institution. Returning home, he greatly annoyed 
his good father and mother by cutting up and playing 
all kinds of pranks, so that they were glad to learn he 
had determined to join an expedition which was setting 

109 



110 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

out for that New World so lately discovered by Colum- 
bus. 

Shortly after this decision he fell from the top of 
a high wall, upon which he had been climbing after 
wild grapes, and hurt himself so grievously that he 
could not walk. It was therefore impossible for him 
to join the adventurers who were heading for the New 
World. The ship set sail without him. 

For two years longer, young Cortes remained at 
home, and then, finding that another expedition was 
about to set sail, he obtained permission to join this 
fleet, bound for the West Indies. lie was now nine- 
teen years of age and was extremely agile and sine\vy. 
His face was pale, his eyes piercing, and his hair raven 
black. He was looking for adventure and was deter- 
mined to bear himself right valiantly in whatever situ- 
ation he should find himself. 

The fleet set sail, and arrived without accident at 
Hispaniola. Cortes went immediately to see the Gov- 
ernor of the island, whom he had known in Spain. 

" You must remain here and become a good citizen," 
said the Spanish dignitary to him. " I will therefore 
present you with a grant of land which I hope that you 
will cultivate." 

" I came to get gold, not to till the ground like a 
peasant," said Cortes. " And I am anxious for ad- 
venture." 

The Governor laughed. 

" You had better become a farmer," said he. 
" There is more money in crops than there is in search- 
ing for gold." 



HEIINANDO CORTES 111 

Six years passed, six rather monotonous years for 
Cortes, although he occasionally joined some expedi- 
tions against the natives, where he learned how to en- 
dure toil and danger, and became familiar with the 
tactics of Indian warfare. At length, in 1511, when 
Diego Velasquez, the Governor's Lieutenant, undertook 
the conquest of Cuba, Cortes gladly became one of his 
followers, and, throughout the expedition, conducted 
himself right valiantly. 

The Spaniards conquered the country; but when, 
later on, there was distribution of lands and of offices, 
great discontent arose. Those who believed that they 
had been ill-used, chose Cortes to journey back to His- 
paniola and lay their grievances before the higher au- 
thorities. This reached the ears of Velasquez. He or- 
dered that the youthful Cortes should be bound, loaded 
with fetters, and thrown into prison. The act was 
humiliating, but it was what those of Spanish blood 
were accustomed to do to one another. Note, however, 
how the young man conducted himself! 

Cortes soon succeeded in escaping from the irons 
which encircled him, and, letting himself dovTn from the 
window of the jail, took refuge in the nearest church, 
where he claimed that he could not be touched, as he 
was under the protection of the priests. Velasquez 
heard of this, was very angry, and stationed a guard 
near the sanctuary, with orders to seize the youthful 
Spaniard, should he endeavor to get off. Cortes was 
careless, wandered, one day, quite far from the church 
door, and was immediately captured. 

Velasquez determined to get rid of the young ad- 



112 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

venturer, this time, so had him carried on board a ship 
which was to sail, next day, for Hispauiola. But 
Cortes was again too clever for him. By great exer- 
tion he managed to drag his feet through the rings 
which fettered him, and, dropping silently over the side 
of the ship into a little boat, made off in the darkness. 

As he neared the shore, the water became so rough 
that the boat was useless, so he dove overboard and swam 
the rest of the way. He was tossed up upon the beach 
in a half -dazed condition; but finally arose, made hia 
way to the church, and hid himself in the sanctuary. 
Velasquez had no idea where he had disappeared to. 

Shortly after this the bold adventurer married a lady 
named Catalina Xuarez whose family was friendly 
with the hard-hearted Velasquez. Peace was therefore 
made with the Governor, and Cortes received a large 
estate near St. lago, where he lived for some years 
and even amassed a considerable sum of money. 

Here he was quietly residing when news came of 
an exploring expedition which had set out in 1518 to 
find out what lay farther to the west. It had been led 
by Grijalva, a nephew of Velasquez, and he had touched 
at various places on the coast of Mexico. This was a 
land inhabited by Indians called A2tecs who had named 
their country after " Mexitili " : war god of their race. 

These Aztecs, it seems, had originally come down 
from the north, and, after many wanderings, had halted 
on the western border of a great lake which lay in a 
long valley, situated at a height of about 7,500 feet 
above the sea, so that the air was cool even in the hottest 
weather. The valley, sixty odd miles in width, was 



HERNANDO CORTES 113 

surrounded by towering rocks which were a protection 
from invasion. 

The Aztecs were few in numbers when they first 
came to the shores of the lake, but they increased rap- 
idly in population and in power. Nearby were other 
Indian tribes, and, as there was much warfare between 
them, the Aztecs united themselves with the King of 
the Tezcucans in order to aid him against a tribe called 
the Tepanics, who had invaded his territory. The al- 
lies won, and, as a result, an agreement was made be- 
tween the states of Mexico, Tezcuco, and Tlacopan, 
that they should support one another in the wars and 
divide all the spoils between them. This alliance re- 
mained unbroken for over a hundred years. 

Although fond of warfare and cruel in their tor- 
tures to prisoners, the Aztecs had many wise laws and 
institutions, and were, in some respects, highly civilized. 
They were governed by an Emperor, and, when he died, 
another one was chosen by four nobles from among his 
sons or nephews. The one preferred was obliged to 
have distinguished himself in war, and he was not 
Crowned until he had waged a successful campaign, 
had captured large numbers of the enemy, and thus 
provided enough captives to grace his entry into the 
capital. 

The Aztecs worshiped thirteen principal gods, and 
more than two hundred of less importance, whose tem- 
ples were everywhere to be seen. At the head of all 
the gods was the great Huitzilopochtli, whose temples 
were in every city of the empire, and whose image was 
always loaded with costly ornaments. 



114 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

They also had a legend that there had once dwelt upon 
the earth the great god, Quetzalcoatl, god of the air, 
under whose sway the iVztec people had flourished and 
there had been peace and prosperity among all men. 
He was said to have been tall in stature, with a white 
skin, long, dark hair, and a flowing beard. He had, 
in fact, quite resembled a Spaniard, and this led to the 
success which Cortes had with the Mexicans, as you 
will presently see. 

Quetzalcoatl, it was said, had in some way incurred 
the wrath of the principal gods, so that he had been 
forced to leave the country. He had turned towards 
the Gulf of Mexico, had stopped at the city of Cholula, 
and had then departed in a magic boat, made of ser- 
pent's skins, to the fabled land of Tlapallan. Tradi- 
tion had it that as he was leaving, he had turned to 
the faithful ones who had followed him saying: " Watch 
and wait for me, I shall come again." For this reason 
the Aztecs were ever on the lookout for the great and 
benevolent god of the white skin and flowing beard. 

As horses were not kno\\Ti, communication was held 
by means of couriers, who, trained from childhood to 
run, traveled with amazing swiftness. There were re- 
lay stations, or post houses, for these couriers, and they 
would thus carry on their messages for a hundred to 
two hundred miles in a day. In this manner the Em- 
peror of the Aztecs, as he sat in his palace in the City 
of Mexico, would feast upon fresh fish, which, twenty- 
four hours before, had been caught in the Gulf of 
Mexico, over two hundred miles away. Thus the news 
was transmitted when war was in progress, and, as the 



HEKNANDO CORTES 115 

messengers came along the highways, the people knew 
whether the tidings were good or bad, by the dress which 
they wore. If bad news, the runners were in black, 
if good, in gay colors. 

The one great object of all expeditions made by the 
Aztecs was to capture victims to be sacrificed upon their 
altars. They believed that the soldier who fell in bat- 
tle was transported at once to the blissful regions of 
the sun, and consequently they fought with an utter 
disregard for danger. The dress of the warriors was 
magnificent. Their bodies were protected by a belt 
of quilted cotton, impervious to all darts or arrows, and 
over this the chiefs wore mantles of gorgeous feather- 
work. Their helmets were made of wood, fashioned 
so as to resemble the head of some wild animal, and 
embellished with bits of gold and of silver. Their ban- 
ners were embroidered with gold and with feather- 
work. 

After the prisoners had been brought from the bat- 
tle field they were sacrificed to the gods in a most brutal 
and horrible manner. The poor victim was held by 
five priests upon a huge, round, sacrificial stone ; while 
a sixth butcher, clothed in a scarlet mantle, plunged a 
long- knife into the breast of the writhing captive, and, 
cutting out the heart, held it up first to the sun, which 
they worshiped, and then cast it at the feet of the stone 
god. The dagger used was as sharp as a razor and 
made of "" itztli," a volcanic substance as hard as flint. 
This was not all. The body of the captive thus sac- 
rificed was afterwards given to the warrior who had 
taken him in battle, who thereupon gave a great banquet 



116 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

and served him up among choice dishes and delicious 
beverages, for the entertainment of his friends. 

The Aztecs called their temples, ieocallis, which 
means, " Houses of God," and there were several hun- 
dred of them in each of the principal cities. They 
looked like Egyptian pyramids, and were divided into 
four or five stories, each one smaller than the one be- 
low it. The ascent was by a flight of steps. At the 
top was a broad space on which stood a tower, from 
forty to fifty feet high, which contained the images of 
the gods. Before such a tower was the stone of sac- 
rifice and two lofty altars on which the sacred fires 
burned continually. The floor was dyed crimson 
from the blood of the helpless victims of the Aztec 
wars. 

These people were unknown to the Spaniards, at this 
time, since of them Grijalva sent back to Cuba only a 
Jew vague reports. It was said, however, that the coun- 
try was full of gold and of treasure. 

When this news reached the ears of Cortes he was 
immediately fired with a resolve to penetrate into this 
unknown land and to gain great renown for himself. 
The Governor of Cuba, likewise, determined to send 
out ships in order to follow up the discoveries of 
Grijalva. Who should be put in command ? Who was 
better, indeed, than Hernando Cortes! 

The Spanish adventurer, with the utmost energy, 
at once began to purchase and to fit out ships. He used 
all the money that he had saved and as much as he 
could persuade his friends to lend him, so that it was 
not long before he was in possession of six vessels, 



HERNANDO CORTES 117 

while three hundred recruits had signified their inten- 
tion of sailing with him. 

But now the Spanish nature began to assert itself, 
for a jealousy and distrust of Cortes took possession 
of the mind of Velasquez and he determined to entrust 
the fleet to the hands of some one else. This would 
have put an end to the aspirations of the youthful 
leader, had it not been whispered to him that Velasquez 
was about to have him removed from his place. He 
took care to checkmate the plans of his former enemy. 
Summoning his officers secretly, he set sail that very 
night with what supplies he was able to put his hands 
on, although his ships were neither ready for a voyage, 
nor properly provisioned. 

Morning dawned and Velasquez heard that the fleet 
was under weigh. He rose hastily, galloped to the 
ocean, and found Cortes in a small boat drifting near 
the shore. The commander of the expedition rowed 
back to within speaking distance. 

" This is a courteous way of taking leave of me, 
truly," cried the angry Governor. 

" Pardon me," answered the young mariner. " Time 
presses and there are some things which should be done 
even before they are thought of. Good-bye, my friend ; 
may you live to see the day when I return a great 
man." 

With that he paddled to the fleet and ordered all 
hands to sail away. This was November the 18th., 
1518. 

Shortly after this the vessels anchored off Trinidad, 
a town on the southern coast of Cuba. Here Cortes 



118 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

landed, set up his standard, and invited all, who wished 
to join the expedition, to come on with him. He told 
them that there was great wealth to be gained and at- 
tracted many volunteers to his banner. Finally, in 
February, he had sufficient reenforcements assembled, 
80 he set sail. He had eleven vessels, one hundred and 
ten sailors, five hundred and fifty-three soldiers, and 
two hundred Indians. He likewise had sixteen horses, 
ten large gims, and four falconets, or light cannon. 

The fleet set out, touched upon the coast in several 
places, and then reached the mouth of the Rio de 
Tabasco. The Spaniards landed and found that the 
Indians were hostile and were drawn up in great force 
against them. But Cortes had his cannon put ashore, 
ordered an attack, and soon had captured both the town 
of Tabasco and also many of the Indians, who saw the 
uselessness of further fighting, and consequently came 
humbly to the Spaniards, bringing presents and slaves. 
Among the latter was a beautiful Mexican girl called 
Malinche, who had fallen, into the hands of the cacique 
of Tabasco through some traders, to whom she had been 
sold by her mother. The Spaniards always called her 
Marina, and, as she quickly learned to speak their 
language, she was soon of inestimable assistance to them 
as an interpreter. Cortes made her his secretary and 
always kept her near him in the exciting days which 
followed. 

By means of his interpreter, Cortes found that these 
Indians were the subjects of the emperor ^fontczuma, 
and were governed by Tenhtlile, one of the great nobles. 
He determined to send word to the potentate who ruled 



HERNANDO CORTES 121 

even putting in a picture of the sliips as they swung 
at anchor. 

At length the Aztecs departed, with much bowing 
and scraping. Their chief, Tenhtlile, seemed to be in 
a good humor and left orders with his people to supply 
the Spanish general with all that he might require until 
further instructions from the Emperor Montezuma. 

Meanwhile gi-eat excitement was taking place in the 
Mexican capital, for many seemed to think that the 
great god, Quetzalcoatl, had returned to earth and was. 
about to revisit the scenes of his former life. Monte- 
zuma, himself, seemed to be undecided how to act. 
When the picture writings, showing the Spanish in- 
vaders, reached him, he summoned the Kings of Tezcuco 
and Tlacopan in order to consult with them as to how 
the strangers should be received. The three differed 
in their ideas, but finally Montezuma resolved to send a 
rich present to Cortes which would impress him with a 
high idea of the Emperor's wealth and his grandeur. 
At the same time he determined to forbid him to ap- 
proach the capital. 

Eight days passed away — eight long days for 
Cortes and his men, as they were suffering greatly 
from the intense heat — and then the embassy, ac- 
companied by the governor, Tenhtlile, arrived at the 
camp, and presented Cortes with the magnificent pres- 
ents sent by Montezuma. 

After the usual salute, the slaves unrolled some deli- 
cately woven mats and displayed the gifts which the 
Aztec Emperor had sent. There were shields, helmets, 
and cuirasses embossed with plates and ornaments of 



122 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

pure gold; with collars aud bracelets of the same pre- 
cious metal. There were also sandals, fans, plumes, 
and crests of varigated feathers, wrought with gold 
and silver thread, and sprinkled with pearls and with 
precious stones. There were golden birds and animals ; 
curtain coverlets and robes of cotton. There were more 
than thirty loads of cotton cloth, and finally, the hel- 
met which Cortes had sent, loaded to the brim with 
grains of pure gold. 

This rich treasure fired the zeal and ardor of the 
Spaniards; yet they controlled themselves, and ex- 
pressed admiration only for two circular plates of gold 
and of silver as large as carriage wheels. One, repre- 
senting the sun, was richly carved with plants and with 
animals, and was worth a fabulous sum of money. 

When the voyageurs had received the presents, the 
ambassadors courteously delivered their message, to the 
effect that Montezuma had great pleasure in holding 
communication with such a powerful monarch as the 
King of Spain; but could grant no personal interview 
to his soldiers. That the way to the capital was too 
long and dangerous for the white men to attempt. 
Therefore the strangers must return to the land from 
which they had come. 

Cortes received this message with coldness, and, turn- 
ing to his ofiicers, said: 

" This is, indeed, a rich and powerful Monarch, and 
he does well to speak in this manner; but I am deter- 
mined to visit him in his capital." 

He then bade good-by to the Aztec ambassadors, who 
shortly withdrew. That night every neighboring hut 



HEKNANDO CORTES 123 

was deserted by the natives, and the Spaniards were 
left quite alone in the wilderness. They prepared for 
an attack, but none came. 

The soldiers now became mutinous, saying that it was 
about time they returned with what treasure they had 
already collected. Cortes had difficulty in keeping 
them out of the boats, but now an event occurred which 
aided him very materially in his design to march to 
the City of Mexico, a design which he had long ago de- 
termined upon. 

Five Indians entered the camp who wore rings of 
gold and bright blue gems in their ears and nostrils. 
A gold leaf, delicately wrought, was attached to their 
under lip. These were not Aztecs and explained that 
they came from Cempoalla, the capital of a tribe called 
the Totonacs, who had been lately conquered by the 
Aztecs, and who greatly resented the oppressions of 
these blood-thirsty tribesmen. The fame of the Span- 
iards, said they, had reached their leader, who had sent 
them to request the strangers to visit him, and to aid 
him in throwing off the domination of the Aztecs. 

It can be easily seen that Cortes was delighted to 
hear this. He saw that discontent in the provinces 
conquered by Montezuma could be turned to his own 
advantage, and that, by .allying himself to these To- 
tonacs, he might be able to conquer Montezuma him- 
self. He therefore dismissed the tribesmen with many 
presents, promising that he would soon visit their city. 

Not long afterwards, the army set out to march north- 
ward, to a place where it had been decided to build a 
town. The men crossed a river in rafts and broken 



124 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

canoes, which they found on the bank, and soon came to 
a very different kind of country than that which they 
had left behind thenu There were wide plains covered 
with green gi*ass and groves of palm trees, among which 
were deer and flocks of pheasants and wild turkeys. 
The trees were loaded with fruits and with beautiful 
clusters of bowers, while gayly plumaged birds flut- 
tered in the branches. There were gardens and or- 
chards on either side of the road. As the Spanish sol- 
diers passed along, they were met by crowds of friendly 
natives, who mingled fearlessly with the soldiers, and 
hung garlands of flowers around the neck of the Gen- 
eral's horse. 

The cacique, or chief of the Totonacs, received 
Cortes with great courtesy, and assigned his soldiers to 
a neighboring temple, where they were well supplied 
with provisions. Cortes, himself, was presented with 
several vessels of gold and robes of fine cotton. 

Upon the following day the General paid the cacique 
a visit, and, with the aid of Marina, held a long talk 
with him. He promised to aid the Totonacs against 
Montezruma. This pleased the chief greatly, and he 
promised to assist the Spaniards in every way that he 
could, Cortes returned to his troops, ordered an ad- 
vance, and soon reached the to\vn of Chiahuitztla, which 
stood upon a crag overlooking the valley. 

As the Spaniards were halted in the center of the 
village, five men entered the market place where they 
were standing. Their dark, glossy hair was tied in a 
knot upon the top of their heads, and they carried 
bunches of sweet-smelling flowers in their hands. 



HERNANDO CORTES 125 

Their attendants bore wands, or fans, to sweep away 
tlie flies and insects from their lordly masters, who, by 
their disdainful looks, showed that they considered 
themselves to be superior to all around them. They 
brushed by the Spaniards, scarcely seeming to notice 
them, and "were immediately joined by the Totonac 
chiefs, who seemed anxious to gain their favor. Cor- 
tes was much astonished, and, turning to Marina, 
asked what this meant. 

" These are Aztec nobles," the girl replied, " and 
they are empowered to receive tribute for Montezuma." 

" TMiat are they saying ? " asked he. 

" They bring word that Montezuma is very angry 
with the Totonacs for entertaining you and your men 
without his permission," Marina replied. " And, as 
a punishment, he has demanded twenty young men and 
maidens to be sacrificed to the gods." 

Cortes was much irritated by this and told the To- 
tonacs that they should not only refuse this demand 
but should seize the Aztec nobles and throw them into 
prison. This was done, but Cortes had the true Span- 
ish character and now played a part of duplicity 
which was characteristic of the men from Seville. He 
had two of the captured Aztecs released, brought them 
before him, and very cunningly led them to believe that 
he was sorry to learn that they had been thrown into 
jail. lie told them that he would help them to escape, 
and begged them to tell Montezuma that the gi'eat Em- 
peror was held in high regard by the Spaniards. The 
two nobles were then hastily dispatched to the port 
where lay the Spanish vessels. They were taken on 



126 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

board, landed secretly upon the coast, and allowed to 
depart for the court of Montezuma. The Totonacs were 
very angry when they found that two of their prisoners 
had escaped, and determined to sacrifice the remainder ; 
but Cortes interfered, had them taken to his vessels, and 
soon allowed them to join their companions. In this 
way he secured the friendship of Montezuma, while 
still appearing as the friend of the Totonacs. 

Messengers were sent to all the other Totonac cities, 
telling the natives of the defiance that had been shown 
the Emperor, and bidding them, also, to refuse to pay 
tribute to Montezuma. The Indians soon came flock- 
ing into the town in order to confer with the powerful 
strangers, and thus Cortes managed to embroil them 
with the Emperor. At the same time he made them all 
swear allegiance to the Spanish King. 

The Spaniards now busied themselves in building a 
town, for they had to have some place to store their 
belongings and also to retreat to in case of disaster. 
The Indians helped them willingly, so they soon had an 
excellent little village : the first one in new Spain. 

When the Aztec nobles who had been set free reached 
the city of Mexico, and told Montezuma of the treat- 
ment which they had received, the Emperor of the Az- 
tecs felt rather kindly disposed towards the Spaniards, 
and sent an embassy consisting of two young nephews 
and four of his chief nobles. They bore a princely gift 
of gold, richly embroidered cotton mantles, and robes 
of feather work. On coming before Cortes, the envoys 
presented Montezuma's thanks to him for the courtesy 
ho had sho^^^l the captive nobles. 



HERNANDO CORTES 127 

" We believe that you are the long-looked-for stran- 
gers who are to return with the god Quctzalcoatl," said 
the ambassadors, " and are therefore of the same line- 
age as ourselves. Therefore, out of deference to you, 
we will spare the Totonacs; but our day of vengeance 
against them will soon come." 

Nothing was said about not being allowed to journey 
to the capital, so Cortes gave these Aztecs presents, as 
usual, and told them that he intended to soon visit 
Montezuma in the city of Mexico, when all misunder- 
standing between them would be adjusted. The To- 
tonacs were amazed and awed by the influence which the 
Spaniards seemed to exert upon the Aztecs, and felt 
safe from further incursions by the terrible Em- 
peror. 

The bold and resolute Cortes was now determined to 
march to Mexico City, itself, to oust Montezuma, and 
to obtain possession of his country and his treasures. 
But he knew that the Governor of Cuba was his enemy, 
and also knew that, should he not send news of his 
discoveries to the King of Spain, he would be seriously 
interfered with by Velasquez. Consequently he pre- 
pared a letter setting forth the extent and magnitude 
of his discoveries, gave up all his o\\ti treasure which he 
had obtained from the natives, and persuaded his sol- 
diers to do the same. This was placed in the hands 
of some of his followers who were given a ship, were 
bidden god-speed, and were told to sail to Spain. 
Cortes besought the King to make him Governor over 
all the new territory, so that ho could add the great 
Indian Empire to the possessions of the Spanish crown. 



128 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

Very soon after the departure of the treasure ship, 
Cortes discovered that there was a conspiracy among 
his followers, who had seized one of the ships, had 
stored provisions and water on board, and were just 
about to set sail for Cuba. One of the traitors repented 
of the part he had taken in the plot, betrayed it to 
Cortes, and thus made evident the extent of the con- 
spiracy. In consequence, the ringleaders were hanged, 
and the Spanish commander determined to take the 
bold step of destroying the ships without the knowl- 
edge of his army. Accordingly he marched his entire 
force to Cempoalla, where he told his plan to a few of 
his devoted adherents, who approved of it. Nine of 
the ships were sunk ; after the sails, masts, iron, and all 
movable fittings had been brought ashore. 

When this act became known, it caused the great- 
est consternation among the Spaniards. They mur- 
mured loudly, and mutiny was threatened. Cortes, 
however, was equal to the emergency. He managed 
to reassure them, to persuade them that he had only 
done what was best for them, and so cleverly told them 
of the fame and treasure which they were on the eve of 
gaining, that not one of them accepted the chance of 
returning to Cuba in the remaining ship. 

August the sixteenth, 1519, was a day ushered in 
by brilliant sunshine, as if the fates were friendly to- 
the daring Spanish adventurer. Cortes was now ready 
to advance into the interior, for he had obtained from 
the cacique of Cempoalla, thirteen hundred warriors 
and a thousand porters to carry his baggage and drag 
onward the gims. His own force amounted to four 



HERNANDO CORTES 129 

hundred foot and fifteen horses, with seven pieces of 
artillery. Surely a small and insignificant army with 
which to attempt to conquer this vast and populous 
land! 

The army set out upon its mission of conquest, and, 
at the close of the second day, reached Xalapa, a moun- 
tain town, and from which they looked back upon one 
of the grandest views which they had ever seen. 
Around were towering mountains; below lay the flat 
region, a gay confusion of meadows, streams, and 
flowering forests, with now and again a tiny Indian 
village dotting the brilliant landscape. Far, far away, 
to the eastward, was a faint line of light upon the 
horizon, which told them that there rolled the ocean 
which they had lately crossed, and beyond which slum- 
bered their country, which many never expected to see 
again. To the south a mighty mountain, called " Ori- 
zaba," poked its head into the air, covered with a man- 
tle of snow; while toward the southwest the Sierra 
Madre, with a dark belt of pine trees waving in the 
breeze, stretched with a long line of shadowy hills into 
the distance. 

Onward and upward crawled the little army, push- 
ing and jerking the guns over the rocks and crevices, 
and finally, on the fourth day, arrived at the town of 
Naulinco. The Indian inhabitants entertained the sol- 
diers with great hospitality, for they were friendly with 
the Totonacs. 

Cortes endeavored to persuade them to give up their 
savage idol worship, and, through a priest, Father 
Almedo, had them instructed in the teachings of 



130 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

Christianity and bad a cross erected for future wor- 
ship. 

The troops pressed onward, entered a narrow, ragged 
valley, called " the Bishop's Pass," and, as they toiled 
around a bare, volcanic mountain, a snow-storm de- 
scended upon them with great violence. The Indians, 
who were natives of the flat region, suffered dreadfully, 
and several of them died by the way. The Spaniards, 
however, were protected by their thick coats of cotton, 
and thus bore up well beneath the change of climate. 

For three days the little band pressed forward over 
the rugged mountain trail, — then emerged into an open 
country with a more genial climate. They had reached 
the gi'eat table-land which spreads out for hundreds of 
miles along the crests of the mountains, more than 
seven thousand feet above the level of the sea. Care- 
fully cultivated fields of com lay around them, and, as 
they trudged forward, they came upon a populous city 
made of substantial buildings of stone and of lime. 

The army rested here for four or five days and then 
went on through a broad valley shaded by lofty trees 
and watered by a splendid river. An unbroken line of 
Indian dwellings extended for several leagues, and, on 
a knoll, stood a town of four to five thousand inhab- 
itants, commanded by a fortress with walls and trenches. 
The army halted here and the troops were met with 
friendly treatment. 

As the soldiers refreshed themselves, Cortes made in- 
quiries concerning the route which he was to follow. 
The Indians, who were traveling with him, told him to 
go through Tlascala : a small republic which had always 



HERNANDO CORTES 131 

managed to maiutain its iudcpcndence against Mexican 
arms. The tribesmen had been friendly with the Toto- 
nac allies of the Spaniards, and had the reputation of 
being frank, fearless, and trustworthy. 

Cortes decided to attempt to gain their good will, so 
he dispatched four or five of his principal Cempoallan 
allies to the Tlascalan capital with a cap of crimson 
cloth and a sword and cross-bow, as gifts. They were 
to ask permission to pass through the land and were to 
express admiration for the valor and the courage of the 
Tlascalans in resisting the Aztecs for such a long time. 
Three days after the departure of these envoys, the 
army resumed its march. 

At last they reached the border of the Tlascalan ter- 
ritory, and were much surprised to find a strong fortifi- 
cation in their path. This was a stone wall nine feet 
high and twenty feet thick, with a parapet a foot and 
a half broad at the top, for the protection of those who 
defended the causeway. It had only one opening in the 
center, made by two semi-circular lines of wall which 
overlapped each other. As it extended for more than 
two miles and was built of natural blocks of stone, it 
could be easily seen, that, had the Tlascalans cared to 
dispute the passage of the Spanish invaders, not only 
would they have inflicted great damage upon them, but 
would undoubtedly have forced them to retire towards 
the sea-coast. 

Fortune favored the Spanish command. No Tlas- 
calans were there to hurl javelins and arrows into their 
ranks, so they pressed onward towards the capital. 

" Tlascala " means the land of bread. The Tlas- 



132 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

calans were an agricultural people and their country 
was very fertile. Tbey had previously lived upon the 
western shore of Lake Tezcuco, a part of Mexico which 
was not very productive ; but their neighbors had driven 
them from their original holdings and were now very 
jealous of their prosperity: so jealous, in fact, that the 
Tlascalans repeatedly had to defend themselves against 
their attacks. Montezuma, himself, had endeavored to 
conquer them, but they had defeated an army sent 
against them and commanded by the Emperor's favorite 
son. This had highly enraged the great ruler and he 
repeatedly harassed them with his troops, so that they 
were certainly glad to see some one journey to their land 
with whom they could ally themselves. They had 
heard about the Spaniards and their victorious advance, 
but they had not expected that they would venture their 
way. They were therefore much embarrassed when 
they saw the white-skinned strangers at their very gates, 
and demanding a passage through the fertile agricul- 
tural regions which they had so often defended with 
their lives. 

While the Tlascalan chiefs were in the council cham- 
ber, trying to make up their minds what to do, Cortes 
and his men were advancing through their country'. As 
they threaded their way through a steep gorge, they 
saw before them a small party of Indians armed with 
swords and bucklers. They fled as the Spaniards ap- 
proached, but the men from Castile spurred their 
horses, and overtook them. As they were endeavor- 
ing to parley with them, the Indians turned and fur- 
iously assaulted those in armor. A stiff fight ensued 



HERNANDO COETES 133 

and the native force would soon have been cut to pieces 
had not a body of several thousand Indians appeared, 
who rushed to their rescue. Cortes hastily dispatched 
a messenger to bring up his infantry and stood off the 
overwhelming masses of the enemy as best he could. 
The Indians fought like tigers, dragged to the ground 
one cavalier, who afterwards died of his wounds, and 
killed two horses by cutting through their necks with 
great broadswords. This was a serious loss to the 
Spaniards, as their steeds were very few, and they 
needed them, not only for battle, but also for hauling 
their possessions over the rough mountain trails. 

Arrows were whizzing fast around the ears of the 
horsemen in the advance, when the infantry approached. 
Hastily falling into position, the soldiers delivered a 
volley from their cross-bows, which not only astonished 
the enemy, but threw them into great confusion. The 
natives soon beat a hasty retreat, and the road towards 
the Tlascalan capital was left open to the adventurers. 

This was not the only battle with the Tlascalans. 
Several other bands of natives were defeated as the 
Spanish pressed forward, so that, when the daring 
Cortes sent an embassy to the Tlascalan capital, his 
men received a most respectful hearing from the de- 
jected natives. A free passage through the Tlascalan 
possessions was offered to these white gods and they 
were furnished with food. 

Meanwhile, what of Montezuma ? 

As the terrible strangers advanced towards his capi- 
tal, news of all of their doings had been faithfully re- 
ported to him by his nmners, or messengers. lie 



134 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

learned, with dismay, that these fair-skinned soldiers 
were defeating all of the natives that were sent against 
them. He saw that they were practically invincible, 
and that, before very long, they would be knocking at 
the very gates of his capital. With great satisfaction 
he had heard of their taking the road through the land 
of the Tlascalans, for he knew these Indians to be 
fiercely warlike, and he hoped that the white gods (so 
called) were only mortal men, and would prove to be 
no match for the natives who had defeated his own best 
troops. Alas! He now learned that even these gal- 
lant warriors had succumbed to the prowess of the 
strangers. 

In his alarm and uncertainty, he dispatched five 
great nobles of his court, attended by two hundred 
slaves, to bear to Cortes a gift consisting of three 
thousand ounces of gold and several hundred robes of 
cotton and of feather-work. 

The Spanish leader received the fa-wTiing natives with 
respectful attention. They laid the gifts at his feet 
and told him that they had come to offer him Monte- 
zuma's congratulations upon his many victories. They 
also stated that they wished to express their regret 
that the Emperor could not receive them at the capital, 
for his own population was so unruly, that, should they 
enter the city, he could not answer for their safety. He 
therefore respectfully requested Cortes to retire to the 
sea-coast. 

" I wish to express my greatest respect for Monte- 
zuma," replied the artful Cortes, " and T wish tliat I 
could do as he desires. But I have received commands 



HERNANDO CORTES 135 

from my own sovereigu to visit the City of Mexico, and 
it would go ill with me should I disobey the desires of 
the mighty Monarch of Spain. Tell the great and 
powerful Montezuma that I will some day repay him 
for his wonderful presents. And tell him, also, that I 
will be soon at the gates of Mexico City, where I hope 
to be received in a style befitting the Monarch whom I 
represent." 

The Mexican ambassadors withdrew, but they were 
sadly displeased with the turn which matters were 
taking. They saw a firm friendship established be- 
tween the Tlascalans — their mortal enemies — and 
the dreaded Spaniards. They also saw that nothing 
could deter the white men from coming forward. So, 
with gloomy faces and lowered eyes, they departed for 
the City of Mexico. 

The Spanish troops were well treated by the Tlas- 
calans, who feasted and entertained them in the four 
([uarters of their city. But amid all these friendly 
demonstrations the General never relaxed, for a second, 
the discipline of the camp, and no soldier was allowed 
to leave his quarters without special permission. 

Montezuma, meanwhile, had received the message 
from the doughty Spanish invader and was more fright- 
ened than even before. Had he exhibited a good fight- 
ing spirit, and had he been determined to expel the 
Spaniards, he could have raised a hundred thousand 
fighting men to overwhelm them as they advanced upon 
his capital. But he was lacking in resolution. Deep 
in his soul he had a suspicion that Cortes was really 
the god Quetzalcoatl, come back again to Mexico in 



136 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

order to bring peace and prosperity with him. In his 
heart he feared, that, should he kill the invader, he 
would be sacrificing one of the gods. And thus he 
vacillated, hesitated, and, at length, seeing that he 
could not buy off the invader with money, or frighten 
him by means of threats, determined to conciliate him. 
So he sent word that he invited the Spaniards to visit 
him in his capital, and requested them to take a route 
through the friendly city of Cholula, where arrange- 
ments were being made, by his orders, for their recep- 
tion, lie also besought Cortes to make no alliance 
with the Tlascalans ; whom he called base, treacherous, 
and barbarous. 

But now came startling events, yet events which 
pleased the daring Cortes greatly, for the conqueror 
was never so happy as when in the thick of fighting. 

After a short consultation among the officers, the 
Spanish army moved forward on the road to Cholula. 
It was an ancient and populous place, six leagues to the 
south of Tlascala. Its inhabitants excelled in the art 
of working in metals, and in manufacturing cotton 
cloth and delicate pottery. They were not as blood- 
thirsty as the surrounding tribes, but were dis- 
tinguished more for the skill in the arts than for their 
warlike attainments. Here it is supposed that the god 
Quetzalcoatl had paused on his way to the coast, many 
years before, and to his honor a great pyramid had 
been erected, upon which was a gorgeous temple and 
a statue of the fair-skinned god, bedecked with gold 
and with jewels. 

Six thousand Tlascalan warriors allied themselves 



HERNANDO CORTES 137 

with Cortes in his march towards the capital. As the 
troops drew near the town of Cholula they were met by 
swarms of men, women, and children, all eager to catch 
a glimpse of these wonderful strangers. An immense 
nmnber of priests, swinging censers, mingled with the 
crowd, and, as the Spaniards moved onward, they were 
decorated with garlands of flowers; while musicians 
tilled the air with strange, melodious symphonies. 
The strangers were given lodgings in the court of one 
of the many teocallis and were well supplied with pro- 
visions. 

All seemed to be going well, and the Spaniards were 
highly pleased with their reception, but soon the scene 
changed. Messengers arrived from Montezuma, who 
told Cortes that his approach occasioned much dis- 
quietude to their royal master. They hinted that he 
would not be well received, and then had a separate con- 
ference with the Cholulans. WTien they departed they 
took one of them off with them. The Cholulans now 
kept aw^ay from the Spanish camp, and, when pressed 
for an explanation, made many excuses, saying that 
they were ill. The supply of provisions ran short, 
and, when asked to bring more corn, the Indians an- 
swered that they were unable to do so, as it was very 
scarce. 

The doughty General of the Spanish forces became 
alarmed at this sudden change. His allies, the Cem- 
poallans, now told him, that, in wandering about the 
city, they had seen several streets barricaded, and, in 
some places, they saw where holes had been dug and a 
sharp stake planted upright in each. Branches had 



138 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

been strewn over these pits in order to conceal them. 
They also announced that the flat roofs of the houses 
were being stored with stones and with other missiles. 

Cortes prepared for an attack, particularly as his 
Tlascalan allies announced, that, in a far distant quar- 
ter of the town, a number of children had been sacri- 
ficed to the war god : the mighty Iluitzilopochtli. They 
reported, too, that numbers of the people had taken 
their wives and children out of the city, as if to get 
away from the battle which was imminent. 

Shortly after this, Marina made a discovery which 
proved that the Spaniards were in a most precarious 
position. The wife of one of the Cholulan caciques 
had taken a great fancy to the Mexican girl, and had 
continually urged her to visit her house ; hinting, rather 
carefully and very mysteriously, that she would, in this 
way, escape a great danger which threatened the Span- 
iards. Marina appeared to be delighted with this pro- 
posal, and pretended to be glad to have a chance of 
escaping from the white men. She, at length, won the 
confidence of the Cholulan lady, w^ho revealed the entire 
plot to her, a plot which had originated with !Monte- 
zuma, and by which he hoped to get rid of these terrible 
strangers. 

A force of twenty thousand ^lexicans, said the wife 
of the cacique, were already near the city, and were to 
fall upon the Spaniards and their allies as they left. 
They were to be assisted by the Cholulans, who had 
stored great quantities of rocks and arrows to hurl 
upon the unsuspecting white men as they defiled along 
the roadway leading to the City of Mexico. After the 



HERNANDO CORTES 139 

fair-faced strangers bad been captured, some were to 
be left witb the Cbolulans for sacrificial victims to tbeir 
gods ; tbe rest were to be sent in cbains to Montezuma. 

Marina rusbed to tbe gallant Cortes witb tbe news of 
tbis impending disaster to bis army. Tbe General at 
once ordered tbe cacique's wife to be seized, and sbe 
repeated to bim tbe same story tbat sbe bad told to 
Marina. Tbe Spanisb leader was not slow to act. 
Two native priests were immediately summoned into 
bis presence, one of wbom was a person of mucb prom- 
inence. By courteous treatment and many presents, be 
secured from tbem a complete confirmation of tbe story 
wbicb Marina bad told bim. Tbere was no time to be 
lost and Cortes was a man of action. 

Sending for tbe more prominent Cbolulans, Cortes 
asked tbem to supply bim witb two tbousaud porters, 
next morning, as be bad determined to move bis army 
away from tbe town, and would need tbis many addi- 
tional men, in order to transport bis luggage and tbe 
many presents wbicb bad been given to bim. After 
some consultation, tbe cbiefs decided to give bim tbis 
number of men, as it would assist tbem in tbeir own 
plan of annibilating tbe invaders of tbeir country. But 
Cortes bad made up bis mind bow to act, and intended 
to annibilate tbe Cbolulans wben once be bad tbem in 
his power. Nigbt fell upon tbe city and every Spanisb 
soldier lay downi fully armed. Tbe sentinels were 
doubled, but all remained quiet. 

Wben tbe first streak of dawn reddened tbe east, 
next morning, Cortes was aborse, and was directing tbe 
movements of bis little band of beroic Spaniards, lie 



140 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

placed the greater portion of his small force in the 
large oblong court in the center of the town. These 
were lined up in a hollow square, facing the center, all 
fully armed, with pouches filled with bullets, and quite 
ready for anything that might occur. A strong guard 
was placed at each of the three gates leading from the 
town, and a number of the best soldiers were stationed 
in charge of the cannon, which were pointed so as to 
command all the more prominent roads leading to the 
center of the native stronghold. 

Hardly had this disposition of the troops been made 
than the Cholulan caciques arrived, bringing a much 
larger body of porters than Cortes had demanded. 
They were placed within the hollow square formed by 
the Castilian infantry. 

The Spanish leader now took the caciques aside and 
said in a stem tone: 

. " Know, O Chiefs, that I have learned of your con- 
spiracy to destroy me and my followers. I am fully 
aware that you intend to fall upon me and my men 
when we leave town, and I am determined to deal a 
just and summary vengeance upon you." 

The Cholulans were thunderstruck, and gazed with 
awe upon these strangers, who seemed to have the power 
of reading their inmost thoughts. They made no at- 
tempt to deny the accusation, but tried to excuse them- 
selves by throwing the blame upon Montezuma. 

" The great Emperor made us do it," said they. 

" I do not care whether he made you do it or not," 
answered the irritated leader of these Spanish con- 
querors. " For daring to think that you could capture 



HERNANDO COETES 141 

and defeat me and my men, I will put you all to death, 
so that it will teach any others who may have designs 
upon my person, in the future, to leave me alone. 
'Fire!'" 

As he spoke a cannon growled out an ominous roar. 
It was the signal for which the Spanish soldiers had 
been anxiously awaiting. 

In an instant the muskets and crossbows were leveled 
at the startled Cholulans, as they stood crowded together 
in the center of the market place. A crash of fire- 
arms, — and many of them lay groaning upon the pave- 
ment. Then, with a fierce and vindictive yell, the 
Spanish soldiers rushed at the natives with their swords, 
and mowed them down as they stood. The Indians 
had heard nothing of what was going on, and offered 
but slight resistance to the armored men of Castile. 

Wild shrieks and yells arose above the din of fire- 
arms, as the massacre took place, and, attracted by the 
noise, the Cholulans from outside began a furious 
assault upon the Spanish soldiers. The heavy cannon 
opened fire upon them as they approached, and, when 
they advanced in close formation, many were swept off 
their feet. The cavalrymen now charged into their 
midst and hewed a passageway of blood in the lane of 
human beings. The Tlascalan allies of the Spaniards 
fell upon the rear of the battling Cholulans. Thus, 
harassed upon every side, the Cholulan to^\msfolk could 
no longer maintain their ground. They fled, some to 
the buildings nearby, others to the temples of the gods. 

Headed by several priests, one strong body of fugi- 
tives ran to the largest of all the temples, the great 



142 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

ieocalli. As the Spaniards came storming up the steps, 
these rained down stones, javelins, and burning arrows 
upon them. In spite of this shower of missiles, the 
soldiers pressed hard upon the heels of the fugitives, set 
fire to the wooden tower, and cheered wildly when they 
saw the natives throw themselves headlong from the 
parapet. 

All was confusion and slaughter in the city of Cho- 
lula. The Spaniards and Tlascalans plundered and 
burned wherever they went, and, as the Tlascalans 
seemed only to want clothes and provisions, the adven- 
turers under Cortes secured all the gold and jewels that 
they cared to have. Thus fire, plunder, and murder 
went on for many hours, until the General yielded to 
the entreaties of the Cholulan chiefs, who had been 
saved from the massacre, and, calling oif his men, put 
an end to further violence. By degrees the tumult was 
appeased. The terrible vengeance of the invaders 
made a great impression upon the natives, but no one 
trembled more than did Montezuma on his throne 
within the mountains. 

The Mexican Emperor, in fact, felt his empire melt- 
ing away from him. His former vassals, on every 
hand, were sending envoys to the Spanish camp to ten- 
der their allegiance to the crown of Castile, and to at- 
tempt to secure the favor of the conqueror by rich gifts 
of gold and of slaves. Montezuma made up his mind 
to send another embassy to Cortes, the members of 
which were to impress upon him the fact that the Em- 
peror had nothing to do with the conspiracy at Cholula. 
The envoys carried splendid presents of golden vessels 



HERNANDO CORTES 143 

and ornaments, including artificial birds made in imi- 
tation of turkeys with their plumage worked in gold, 
and also fifteen hundred robes of delicate cotton cloth. 
When they spoke to Cortes they told him that Monte- 
zuma had no knowledge of the plot to attack the Span- 
iards after they had left the town of Cholula and that 
the Aztec force had been sent there, not to assist in anni- 
hilating the Spaniards, but to quell a disturbance in 
the neighborhood. 

Cortes, who was not fooled by this series of lies by 
Montezuma, remained quietly in the confines of 
Cholula. He restored the city again to order, seized 
upon the great temple, or teocalli, of which all the wood- 
work had been burned, and built a church out of the 
stones which remained. He also opened the cages in 
which hundreds of captives were kept until the day 
should come when they were to be sacrificed. After 
this had been done, he called up the chiefs of his Tlas- 
calan allies, told them that the armies would now march 
toward the City of Mexico, and, upon the day follow- 
ing, set his own troops in motion. 

He moved slowly, and soon was met by another em- 
bassy from the Emperor, consisting of several Aztec 
noblemen who brought a rich gift, indeed, and also a 
message from the trembling Montezuma to the effect 
that he would give four loads of gold to the General, 
each year, and one load to each of his Captains, if he 
would turn back from the city and would leave him 
alone. Cortes was surprised at this show of weakness 
and also pleased that the Aztec sovereign did not attack 
him. He replied that he could not return to the King 



144 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

of Spain without first visiting the Emperor at his 
capital. 

'' We Spaniards," said he, " are advancing in a spirit 
of peace, and wish to be courteously received. If, after 
a short stay, you find our visit Lurdensome, it is very 
easy for you to notify us that our presence in your 
beautiful city is no longer desired." 

The ambassador reported this answer to Montezuma, 
who called a council of his chief advisors to determine 
what was now to be done. A great difference of opin- 
ion arose. Cacama, the Emperor's nephew, counseled 
him to receive the Spaniards courteously, as the am- 
bassadors of a foreign prince ; while his brother, Cuila- 
hua, urged him to muster all his fighting men and to 
drive back the invaders, or die in the defense of his 
capital. 

Torn with doubt and distress, the Emperor did not 
know which way to turn. It would not have been im- 
possible to strike the invaders with his warriors, but 
Montezuma feared these white-skinned travelers as he 
had never before feared any enemy. 

" Of what avail is resistance," said he, " when the 
gods have declared themselves against us? I must 
face the storm as best I may. I see my empire crum- 
bling to dust before these invaders, and I am prepared 
to fight only when I see that I cannot rid myself of 
them by peaceful means." 

Thus, trusting that he would eventually free himself 
from this menacing band, Montezuma awaited the entry 
of the Spaniards into the city. 

The followers of Cortes, with their Tlascalan allies, 



HERNANDO CORTES 145 

now marched along the southern shores of Lake Chalco, 
through forests of strange-looking trees, such as they 
had never seen before, and orchards growing with un- 
known fruits. At length they came to a great 
dike, or causeway, four or five miles in length, which 
divided Lake Chalco, from Xochicalco, on the west. 
It was sufficiently wide, in some parts, for eight horse- 
men to ride abreast ; and was solidly built of stone and 
of lime. At its narrowest part it was only a lance's 
length in breadth. 

From the causeway the army descended upon a nar- 
row point which lay between the two lakes, and, quickly 
crossing over this, reached the royal residence at Izta- 
palapan, a place governed by Montezuma's brother. 
Here Cortes was presented with gifts of gold and costly 
stuffs, and then the Spaniards were led into the gor- 
geous halls of the palace, the roof of which was of 
odorous cedar wood, while the stone w'alls were hung 
with brilliant tapestries. Here, also, the army rested 
for an entire night, ready and prepared for the advance 
upon the following morning into the sacred precincts 
ruled over by Montezuma. 

Day da\vned. As the sharp tones of the bugle woke 
the echoes in the quaint Aztec village, the Spanish ad- 
venturers bestirred themselves, formed in line of 
march, and followed by the dark horde of Tlascalan 
warriors, advanced upon the capital. Cortes' force 
was not more than seven thousand in all, and of this 
number less than four hundred were Spaniards. The 
adventure seemed foolhardy indeed. How could four 
hundred Spaniards hope to conquer an entire country ? 



146 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

At the distance of half a mile from the capital the 
invaders encountered a solid fortification, like a great 
curtain of stone, which was built across the dike. It 
was twelve feet high, and had a tower on each end; in 
the center was a battlement-gateway through which the 
troops passed. This was the fort of Xoloc, and here 
the Spaniards were met by several hundred Aztec chiefs. 
After the usual salutations, the march was resumed, and 
the army reached a wooden drawbridge which crossed 
an opening in the dike. As the soldiers left it, they 
realized that they were in the power of Montezuma, 
for, had he so wished, he could cut them off from com- 
munication with the country, and hold them prisoners 
in his capital. 

But now the Emperor Montezuma, himself, ap- 
proached. A crowd of Indian nobles surroimded him, 
and he was preceded by his officers of state, bearing 
golden wands. Reclining upon the royal palanquin, 
blazing with burnished gold, he was borne aloft by four 
attendants, who were barefooted, and who walked with a 
slow, measured pace, their eyes bent upont the ground. 
Montezuma wore a square cloak of the finest cotton, on 
his feet were sandals with soles of gold, and both cloak 
and sandals were sprinkled with pearls and with pre- 
cious stones. On his head was a plume of royal green 
feathers, the badge of his military rank. He was at 
this time about forty years of age, was tall and thin, 
and lighter in color than most of his countrymen. 

The Emperor received Cortes with princely courtesy, 
and appointed his brother to conduct the Spaniards to 
their quarters. The adventurers followed their guide, 



HERNANDO CORTES 147 

and, with colors Hying and with music playing, entered 
the southern portion of the Aztec capital. As they 
proceeded, they crossed many bridges which spanned 
the canals, and at length halted in a wide, open space, 
near the center of the city and close to the temple of 
the war god. Here were a number of low, stone build- 
ings, once a palace belonging to the Emperor's father, 
but now to become the lodging of the Spaniards. 

After a rapid survey the General assigned the troops to 
their respective quarters. He planted his cannon so as 
to command the approaches to the palace, stationed sen- 
tinels along the walls, and ordered that no soldier should 
leave his quarters under pain of death. When all these 
precautions had been taken, he allowed his men to enjoy 
the banquet prepared for them. 

Not long after this, Montezuma came to visit the 
fair-skinned strangers, and was received with great 
courtesy by Cortes, who had the faithful Marina to 
interpret for him. The Emperor made many inquiries 
concerning the country of the Spaniards, and particu- 
larly asked why Cortes and his men had visited Mexico. 

" We have desired to see you," answered the General, 
" and to declare to you the true faith which we, as 
Christians, believe. We think that your own worship 
is most pernicious, and we do not approve of the many 
human sacrifices which you are continually making to 
your gods. W^e therefore pray that you give up the 
worship of idols, adopt the faith of Jesus Christ, and 
cease to tear out the hearts of poor human beings as a 
sacrifice in your temples." 

The Emperor smiled at the reference to the ancient 



148 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

customs of the Aztecs, and made many inquiries con- 
ccriiiug the rank of the cavaliers in their own country 
and their positions in the army. He then commanded 
a gift of cotton robes to be distributed among the Span- 
iards and their TUiscalan allies, and returned to his 
own palace. When he had departed, Cortes ordered a 
general discharge of his artillery, so as to impress the 
natives with his power. The noise of the guns and the 
smoke filled the Aztecs with alarm and dismay, and put 
them in great fear of these strangers from another 
country. 

Cortes had several other audiences with the Aztec 
ruler, who seemed to wish to treat these adventurers 
with kindness and consideration; but the Spanish gen- 
eral was harassed by many doubts. He was in the heart 
of a great capital, with dikes and drawbridges on every 
side, which might be converted into serious obstacles 
against him and his men, should the Aztecs determine 
to crush the small Spanish army. At a nod from the 
mighty Montezuma all communication with the rest of 
the country would be cut off, and the whole population 
would be immediately hurled upon him and his handful 
of followers. Against such odds, of what avail would 
be his armor, his muskets, and his cannon ? Monte- 
zuma had a thousand warriors to his one. His best 
policy, therefore, seemed to be to keep up the super- 
stitious reverence in which he seemed to be h(>ld by 
both the Emperor and his people, and to find out all that 
he could about the city and its inhabitants. Then, 
should the opportunity occur, he would seize the cliief 
power for himself. 



HERNANDO CORTES 149 

Next day the General asked the Emperor's permis- 
sion to visit the principal public buildings and received 
a willing assent. Putting himself at the head of his 
cavalry, and, followed by nearly all of his foot soldiers, 
he set out, under the guidance of several caciques, to 
view more closely what he had only seen at a distance. 
lie was led to the great teocalli of the god of war, Iluit- 
zilopochtli, which stood in an open court surrounded by a 
wall of stone and lime, about eight feet high, and orna- 
mented by raised figures of serpents, so that it was 
called the " wall of serpents." It was pierced by huge 
gateways, opening upon the four principal streets of 
the city, and over each gate was an ai'senal filled with 
arms and other warlike gear. 

The Spanish visitors climbed up the flights of steps 
and reached the great paved space at the summit, where 
was a huge, round stone upon which the victims were 
stretched before their hearts were cut out to propitiate 
the feelings of the great god. At the other end of tlio 
platform stood two towers, each three stories in height, 
in which were the images of the gods. 

Montezuma came forward to receive Cortes and con- 
ducted him into the first tower, at the end of which, in a 
huge recess, stood a colossal stone image of Huit- 
zilopoclitli, the god of war. In his right hand he held 
a bow: in his left a bunch of golden arrows. The 
second sanctuary was dedicated to Tezcatlepoco, who 
was believed to have created the earth and to watch 
over it. lie was represented as a young man, 
although his imago was made of polislied, black stone, 
garnished with gold plates and with ornaments. A 



150 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

shield, burnished like a mirror, was upon one arm; and 
in this was supposed to be reflected the doings of the 
world. 

On descending again to the courtyard, the cavaliers 
took a careful look at the other buildings in the in- 
closure, and saw, to their horror, a gi'eat mound with a 
timber framework upon its summit, along which were 
strung hundreds of thousands of skulls: those of the 
many victims which had been sacrificed. The rest of 
the space was filled with schools, granaries and gardens. 
Several fountains, spouting crystal streams of water, 
played gracefully in the clear air. It was a combina- 
tion of barbarism and civilization which was quite char- 
acteristic of the Mexican people. 

Upon the day following, the Spaniards asked permis- 
sion to convert one of the halls in their palace into a 
chapel where they could hold the services of their 
church, and l^Iontezuma readily granted their request. 
While the work was in progi'css, a young cavalier dis- 
covered what seemed to be a door which had only 
recently been plastered over. There was a rumor that 
Montezuma kept the treasures of his father in this 
place, so, to satisfy their eager curiosity, the plaster 
was knocked away. Sure enough, a doorway was 
beyond the plaster, and, pushing this aside, a great hall 
was disclosed, filled with all manner of rich and beauti- 
ful stuflFs. There were also much gold and silver in 
bars, and many jewels of inestimable value. Some 
thought that all the riches in the world were in that 
room. Afraid to touch it, then, by command of the 
General, the wall was again built up, and strict orders 



HERNANDO CORTES 151 

were given that the discovery must be kept a profound 
secret. 

Time was passing and Cortes grew somewhat worried 
over bis position. Some of bis officers were for an 
immediate retreat. Some, and these were in the ma- 
jority, were well satisfied with the plan which their 
General now disclosed to them, which was : to march to 
the royal palace, and by persuasion, or force, to in- 
duce Montezuma to take up bis abode in the Spanish 
quarters. When they had taken possession of his per- 
son, it would be easy to rule in his name, until they 
had made their position secure. Then, too, reenforce- 
ments might reach them at any time. 

An excuse soon offered itself, for two of the Spaniards 
were treacherously murdered by the Aztecs, when upon 
a journey to Vera Cruz, and this was sufficient pretext 
to seize the person of the Emperor. Having asked for 
an audience with Montezuma, which was granted, the 
Spanish adventurer immediately made the necessary 
arrangements for tiiis hazardous enterprise. The 
principal part of his force was drawn up in the court- 
yard, next day, but one detachment was stationed in 
the avenue leading to the palace, so that no rescue could 
be attempted by the citizens. Twenty-five or thirty 
soldiers were ordered to drop into the palace by twos 
and by threes, as if accidentally, and Cortes was accom- 
panied by five cavaliers upon whose courage and cool- 
ness he could perfectly rely. All were in full mail 
and were armed to the teeth. 

^Fontozuma scorned to be in great good s])irits when 
the Spaniards arrived, and paid Cortes the compliment 



152 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

of offering him one of his daughters in marriage; an 
honor which the general most respectfully declined, be- 
cause of the fact that he already had one wife. Kot 
long after this he saw that all of his soldiers were ready, 
and, turning to Montezuma, asked him why the Aztecs 
had murdered his two soldiers at Vera Cruz* The 
Emperor listened to him with great surprise, and said 
that such an act had never been by his direction. 

" I care not whether you ordered this massacre or 
not," replied Cortes, " this native chief, Quanhpopoca, 
whose men killed my soldiers, must be sent for at once, 
so that I may deal with him as he deserves." 

Montezuma agreed to this, and, taking his royal sig- 
net ring from his finger, gave it to one of his nobles, 
with orders to show it to the Aztec governor and re- 
quire his immediate presence in the capital. In case 
he resisted, the bearer was to call in the aid of the 
neighboring towns and their fighting men. 

The messenger had soon disappeared, and Cortes as- 
sured the smiling Montezuma that he was now perfectly 
convinced of his innocence in the matter, but that it was 
quite necessary that his own sovereign should be assured 
of it. Nothing could therefore be better than that 
Montezuma should transfer his residence to the palace 
occupied by the Spaniards, as this would show a per- 
sonal regard for the Spanish monarch which would 
free him from all suspicion. 

To this proposal ^tontezTuna listened with the 
greatest amazement, and then exclaimed, with resent- 
ment and offended dignity: 

" Wlien was it that a great prince like myself will- 



HERNANDO CORTES 153 

ingly left bis owu palace to become a prisoner iu tbe 
bands of strangers i " 

" You will not go as a prisoner," replied tbe artful 
Cortes, " but will simply be cbanging your residence." 

" If I sbould consent to sucb a degradation," cried 
Montezuma, wratbfully, '* my subjects never would." 

But Cortes was obdurate and insisted tbat tbe Aztec 
sbould go, in spite of tbe fact tbat tbe Emperor offered 
bim one of bis sons and two of bis daugbters as bos- 
tages, so tbat be migbt be spared tbis disgrace. Tbus 
two boiu-s passed by in a fruitless discussion. 

Finally Velasquez de Leon, one of tbe cavaliers, wbo 
was impatient at tbe long delay, cried out in loud 
tones : 

" ^\"by do we waste words on tbis barbarian ? Let us 
seize bim, and, if be resists, let us plunge our swords 
into bis body ! " 

Tbe fierce tones of tbe man in armor, coupled witb 
bis menacing gesture, alarmed Montezuma, wbo asked 
Marina wbat tbe angry Spaniard bad remarked. Tbe 
Mexican girl explained, as gently as sbe could, wbat 
bad been said, tben basougbt bim to accompany tbe 
wbite men, wbo would surely treat bim witb respect 
and kindness. 

'* If you refuse," sbe wbfspered, " you will, pcrbaps, 
be killed." 

As she said tbis, the Emperor shuddered, and, look- 
ing around for some sympathetic glance, saw only 
tbe stern faces and mail-clad forms of the Spaniards, 
lie felt that, should he refuse, he would be imme- 
diately dispatched. 



154 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

" I will go with you, Maliuche," said he, in a scarcely 
audible voice. " Bring forward the royal litter ! " 

As the Aztec retinue marched dejectedly down the 
avenue to the Spanish quarters, the people crowded 
together, crying out that Montezuma had been carried 
off by force. 

" Disperse, subjects ! " cried the Emperor. " I am 
visiting my friends of my own accord." 

The crowd remained quiet, and, on reaching the 
Spanish quarters, Montezuma sent out his nobles to the 
mob with similar assurances, and bade them all return 
to their homes. 

The Spaniards received him with great respect and 
allowed him to choose his own apartments, which were 
speedily furnished with tapestry, feather-work, and all 
other Indian luxuries. Yet it was only too clear to the 
Aztecs themselves that their honored Emperor was a 
prisoner, as by day and night the palace was guarded 
by sixty sentinels, both in the front and in the rear, 
while yet another body was stationed in the royal ante- 
chamber. 

In a day or two, the native chief, Quanhpopoca, ar- 
rived from the coast. He was asked by Cortes why he 
had made an attack upon his soldiers, and, as he could 
make no satisfactory reply, was immediately con- 
demned to be burned to death. Montezuma made no 
objection to this, so a funeral pile was erected in the 
courtyard before the palace, and upon this the chief and 
his attendants were burned. Just before the exoeution 
took place, Cortes ontorod tlie Emperor's apartment, 
followed by a soldier bearing fetters in his hands. 



HERNANDO CORTES 155 

The Spanish general accused Montezuma of having 
been the instigator of this treacherous deed, and said 
that a crime which merited death in a subject, must be 
likewise atoned for by a king. With this, he ordered 
the soldier to fasten the fetters upon Montezuma's 
ankles, and, after coolly waiting until this was done, 
turned his back upon the outraged Aztec Emperor, and 
quitted the room. 

After the execution was over Cortes came in and 
unclasped the irons with his ovm hands. Montezuma 
thanked him as if he had received some great and 
unmerited favor. 

Not long after this the Spanish commander told 
^Montezuma that he could return to his own quarters. 
But the Emperor declined to go back, for, realizing how 
his conduct must be viewed by the great nobles of his 
Empire, he decided that his life was safer with the 
Spaniards than with them. Although he had thus re- 
signed himself, without a fight, to a life of captivity, 
some of his kinsmen were determined to rescue their 
Emperor from the clutches of these fair-skinned in- 
vaders. Ilis nephew, Cacama, lord of the Tezcuco, 
was especially incensed at the method by which Monte- 
zuma had been stolen, and tried to stir up the Aztecs 
to make an attack upon the Spanish robbers. Actuated 
by jealousy, the other nobles refused to join Cacama, 
declaring themselves unwilling to do anything without 
the Emperor's sanction. 

Cortes heard of this, and wished to march at once 
upon Tezcuco, in order to stamp out the spark of re- 
bellion, but Montezuma persuaded him to get hold of 



156 FAMOUS DISCOVEIIKUS 

Cucaimi personally, and to niako away with liini. 
(■acamji was enticed into u villa overhanging the lake, 
where ho was overpowered, forced info a boat, and 
Hpecdily brought to ^lexico City. Hero ho was fettered 
and inipri.soned. His kingdom was given to his 
brother, — a more boy, — to reign in his stead. 

Now Cort6s felt himself ])owerful enough to demand 
that Montezuma and all his nobles should formally 
swear allegijinci^ to the King and (^ueen of Spain. IIt> 
ju'cordingly requested the Emperor to call fogcfher his 
principal caeitpieH, and, when they were gathered to- 
gether, Alontezuma addressed them as follows: 

" You all know, () cacinuea, our ancient tradition, 
how tho Great Being who once ruled over I he land, de- 
clared that he would one day return and ri'ign again. 
That time has now arrived. The wliite men have 
come from the land beyond tho sea, sent by their master 
to reclaim the obedience of his ancient subjects. I am 
ri>ady, for my j>art, to acknowledge his authority. You 
have been faithful vassals of mine all through the years 
that I have sat upon the throne of my father; I now ex- 
j)ect that you will show me a last act of obedience, by 
acknowledging the great King beyond tho waters to bo 
your lord idao, and that you will pay him tribute as you 
have liitherto done to me." 

As he spoke, the tears fell fast down his cheeks, and 
his nobles were deej)ly alTected by the sight of his dis- 
tress. !Many of these fierce fighting-men had come 
from a great distance, and had no idea of what was 
going on in tlu^ ca]>ital. TTcMice they were filled with 
astonislnnont at seeing the vt)luntary submission of their 



HERNANDO CORTES 157 

master to this mere handful of Spanish soldiers. They 
had always reverenced him as their all powerful lord, 
and, therefore, were willing to obey him and to swear 
allegiance to the white men's sovereign. Accordingly 
the oaths were administered, with due solemnity, and a 
full record of these proceedings was drawn up by the 
royal notary to be sent to Spain. 

The Spanish explorer had now gained the greatest 
object of the expedition, but in the conversion of the 
natives to Christianity he seemed to have made little 
progress, and the horrible sacrifices, where human 
hearts were torn from the breasts of captives, were 
occurring every day. What could be done ? With the 
blatant disregard for the sentiments of the natives that 
had always characterized his actions, Cortes deter- 
mined to hold the services of the church in the temple 
of the great god, Huitzilopochtli, and notified Monte- 
zuma to this effect. The Emperor listened in great 
consternation. 

" Malinche," said he, " why will you push matters 
to an extremity that will surely bring down the venge- 
ance of our gods and stir up an insurrection amongst 
my people ? They will never endure this profanation 
of their temple. Do not attempt to destroy their gods, 
for, if you do so, you will be driven from the land by 
the enfuriated populace." 

In spite of what the weak-minded ruler had said, 
Cortes decided to hold the sendees of the church in one 
of the sanctuaries of the famous temple, which was 
dedicated to the fearful god of war. Consequently, the 
whole army moved, one day, in a solemn procession up 



158 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

the winding ascent to the pyramid, and mass was cele- 
brated by Father Almedo. The Aztecs crowded around 
in order to view this ceremony, and looked on with re- 
pugnance plainly showing in their dark faces. 

As Montezuma had prophesied, the Mexican people 
were greatly outraged by this profanation of their 
temple, and many conferences now took place between 
the Emperor and the nobles. After several weeks, 
Cortes received a summons to appear before the Aztec 
chief, who said, in rather apologetic tones : 

" What I told you in connection with the insult to 
our gods has come to pass. The gods are offended and 
they threaten to forsake our city if you and your men 
are not driven from it. If you regard your safety, 
you will leave the country without delay. I have only 
to lift my finger and every Aztec in the land will rise 
against you." 

" I shall greatly regret to say good-bye to your capi- 
tal," Cortes answered. " I cannot leave your country, 
for I have no ships in which to sail. Besides, if I am 
driven out, I shall have to take you with me." 

Montezuma, although troubled ^\^th this last sugges- 
tion, offered to send workmen to the coast to assist the 
Spaniards in building ships. In the interim he as- 
sured the populace that the white men would leave 
in a very few weeks. Cortes, meanwhile, sent word to 
delay the construction of ships as long as possible, for 
he hoped, in the meantime, to receive reenforcements 
from Spain, so that he could hold his ground. The 
Spaniards were now thoroughly frightened, for they 
were surrounded bv hundreds of thousands of the 



HERNANDO CORTES 159 

enemy, and, should those break loose upon them, they 
knew that they should have to light for their lives. 

This was the state of affairs, in May, 1520, after the 
Spaniards had been six months in the country of Mex- 
ico. Then came an unexpected thunderclap, for Cortes 
received word from the coast that the jealous Governor 
of Cuba, hearing of his great success, yf&a forwarding 
an expedition to attack him. Think of it ! To attack 
the one who had accomplished that which he had been 
sent to accomplish ! 

The commander of this second expedition, Nar- 
vaez, sent several of his most trusted adherents to 
Villa Rica, where Cortes had left a body of men under 
one Sandoval, to demand his capitulation. But, San- 
doval would hear nothing of this, and, binding the 
emissaries to the backs of several sturdy porters, like 
bales of cotton, he sent them, under guard, to Mexico 
City, where Cortes received them courteously. He 
learned that the principal object of Narvaez was the 
finding of gold, and that the soldiers of this interloper 
had no particular regard for their leader, as he was 
arrogant and by no means liberal. 

The General decided that the only thing to do was 
to march against this man, to defeat him, and to unite 
the new forces with his own. This he did. The new- 
comer was captured, his troops willingly joined with 
the followers of Cortes, and the bold Spaniard returned 
to Mexico City, where he had left his Lieutenant Al- 
varado in command. But he found that matters had 
gone very ill since his departure, and that insurrection 
and bloodshed were rampant in the once quiet capital. 



160 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

The General eagerly inquired what had transpired 
during his absence, and found that Alvarado had acted 
in a manner that was not only undiplomatic but also 
bloodthirsty. A few days after Cortes had marched 
towards the coast, the Aztec festival of " The Incensing 
of Huitzilopochtli " was celebrated, and, having asked 
permission to use the teocalli, the Aztecs assembled to 
the number of at least six hundred. The natives wore 
their magnificent gala attire, with mantles of feather- 
work sprinkled with precious stones, and collars, brace- 
lets, and ornaments of gold. Alvarado and his men, 
fully armed, attended as spectators, and, as the natives 
were engaged in one of their ceremonial dances, fell 
upon them suddenly, — sword in hand. A great and 
dreadful slaughter now followed, the Aztecs being 
hewn down without resistance. Those who attempted 
to escape by climbing the wall of serpents, were cut 
down to a man, until not a single one remained alive. 
The tidings of this awful massacre flew instantly 
through the capital, and the city rose in aiTns against 
these terrible invaders, who would do such a dastardly 
deed. 

The Spaniards made themselves secure in their cita- 
del, but thej were attacked with the greatest fury. 
The works were undermined, and some of the more 
courageous assailants set fire to the walls. Monte- 
zuma was entreated to interfere, and, mounting the bat- 
tlement, requested the howling mob of Aztecs to desist 
from storming the fortress, out of regard for his own 
safety. This they did, although a regular blockade 
was begun, and high walls were thrown up around the 



HERNANDO CORTES 161 

citadel in order to prevent the egress of the Spaniards. 
The Aztec waiTiors chanted defiance at Alvarado and 
his men, while sullenly awaiting the time when the 
Spaniards would be starved into submission. 

Cortes was angered and ashamed at the action which 
his Lieutenant had taken, and, calling him to him, 
roundly upbraided him for attacking the natives in this 
brutal fashion. As an explanation for his atrocious 
act, Alvarado declared that he had struck this blow in 
order to intimidate the natives and crush an uprising 
which he had learned was about to occur. 

" You have done badly ! " cried Cortes. " You have 
been false to your trust and your conduct has been that 
of a madman ! " 

The Spanish commander lost his self-control for the 
first time, and allowed his disgust and irritation to bo 
plainly seen. He bitterly regretted that he had en- 
trusted so important a command to one who had such a 
rash and cruel nature. But the deed was done. The 
Aztecs were now in open revolt, and the Spaniards had 
to battle for their very lives. The whole city was in 
arms, the drawbridges were raised, and the enemy was 
collecting from every quarter. 

As Cortes directed the troops within the citadel, to 
which he had had to fight his way after the destruc- 
tion of Narvaez, he heard a long, hoarse, sullen roar 
from the streets of the city. It became louder and 
louder, until, as he stood upon the parapet and looked 
into the distance, he could see dark masses of warriors 
rolling towards the citadel in a confused tide, while the 
flat roofs of the houses nearby were covered with 



162 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

swarms of menacing figures, who brandished their 
weapons, and cried out with shrill voices : " Death to 
the invaders! Death to the enemies of our gods! 
Death to the dogs from Spain ! " The great war drum 
upon the teocalli rolled out a mournful and doleful 
sound of battle, while gay banners fluttered from the 
serried ranks of the approaching army. 

On, on, came the wild Aztecs, their shrill yells sound- 
ing high above the rolling of their rude drums, and, as 
they came within sight of the Spanish quarters, they 
let loose a perfect tempest of stones, darts, and arrows. 
At the same time those upon the roofs let drive a blind- 
ing volley. The men under Cortes waited until the 
enemy were within a hundred yards of the ancient 
palace, in which they had barricaded themselves, and 
then thundered a return volley from their cannon and 
guns. The first few ranks of the Aztec warriors were 
swept to the ground, but, leaping over the prostrate 
bodies of the slain, the great horde of fighting men 
came on. Soon some of the bolder warriors succeeded 
in getting close enough to the wall to be sheltered by it 
from the fire of the Spaniards, so they made a gallant 
yet futile effort to scale the parapet. As soon as their 
heads appeared above the ramparts, they were shot 
down, one after another, and fell to the street below. 
Great piles of the slain lay heaped before the ancient 
palace of the Montezumas. 

Burning arrows were now shot upon the buildings in 
the court-yard, and several of them took fire. So severe 
was the conflagration that a part of the wall had to be 
thrown doA\Ti, thus laying opon a formidable breach. 



HERNANDO CORTES 163 

which the Aztecs endeavored to storm. But cannon 
were pointed at the spot, and a file of arquebusiers 
kept up an incessant volley-fire through the opening, so 
that those who attempted to get through were killed as 
fast as they reached the portal. All day long the fight 
raged with fury, and, when night came, the Spaniards 
could get no sleep, for they were in hourly expectation 
of a new attack. 

Next morning the mournful war-drum again groaned 
out its call to the battle, and again the serried 
ranks of the enfuriatcd Aztec warriors came on to the 
attack. Showers of burning arrows, darts, and heavy 
stones fell against the Spanish battlement, and the 
mass of warriors struggled with renewed fury to gain 
possession of the breach. Cortes ordered a sortie, hop- 
ing to drive this body of invaders away, but, when the 
gates were thrown open and he dashed forward with 
the cavalry, assisted by a large force of Tlascalans, the 
natives retreated behind a barricade. Heavy guns 
were ordered up, and the barriers were demolished; 
but, as he pressed the Aztecs backwards, so many came 
in upon the flanks that he was forced to retreat. As 
the Spaniards reentered their fortress, pursued by 
a shower of darts and arrows, the Indians once 
more closed around it, with menacing cries and in- 
sults. 

" The gods have delivered you into our hands at 
last ! " they called. " Huitzilopochtli has long been 
crying for his victims, and the stone of sacrifice is ever 
ready. Our knives are sharpened. The wild beasts 
in the palace are roaring for their feast." 



164 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

Yet they cried pitcoiisly for Montezuma and en- 
treated the Spaniards to deliver him up to them. 

" Oh, give us back our Emperor ! " said they. 
" You have willfully and falsely detained and impris- 
oned him ! " 

At this, Cortes determined to induce Montezuma to 
exert his authority, in order to allay the tumult. So 
he requested the captive Emperor to speak to the howl- 
ing mob. Montezuma had soon arrayed himself in his 
finest robes, and with a guard of Spaniards around him, 
and preceded by an Aztec carrying a golden wand (the 
symbol of sovereigiity) the Indian monarch ascended 
the central turret of the palace. 

A marvelous and magical change now came over the 
scene. The fierce and vindictive war cries of the Aztec 
warriors ceased. Great rows of Indians prostrated 
themselves on the ground, while all eyes were turned 
upon the monarch whom they had been taught to ven- 
erate with slavish awe. The Spaniards were startled 
at the homage which was given to the cowardly Em- 
peror, and Montezuma, himself, saw his advantage. 
He felt himself once again a king, and addressed the 
multitude with all of his former authority and confi- 
dence. 

" Why do I see my people here in arms against the 
palace of my father? " said he, " Is it that you think 
your sovereign a prisoner and wish to release him ? 
If so, you have done well ; but you are mistaken. I am 
no prisoner. These strangers are my guests. I re- 
main with them only by choice and I can leave them 
when I will. Have you come to drive them from the 



HERNANDO CORTES 165 

city? That is unnecessary; they will depart of their 
own accord, if you will open a way for them. Return 
to your homes ! Lay down your arms ! Show your obe- 
dience to me, whose right it is. The white men shall 
go back to their land, and all shall be well again within 
the walls of Mexico." 

A murmur of contempt ran through the multitude. 
Rage and desire for revenge made the Aztec warriors 
forgot their reverence for their former beloved Em- 
peror, and they now turned against the very man 
whose word had once been their law. 

" Base Aztec ! " they cried out in loud tones. " You 
are a woman and a coward ! The white men have made 
you a female, fit only to weave and to spin ! Begone ! 
Back to your needlework and to your Spanish 
brothers ! " 

Immediately the Emperor was assailed by a cloud of 
rocks and arrows. A stone struck the miserable man 
in the head, with a sickening thud, and knocked him to 
the ground. A chief of high rank hurled his javelin 
at him, but it just missed him as he fell. The Mexi- 
cans were shocked at their own act of sacrilege and set 
up a dismal cry. They dispersed, panic-stricken, and 
not one remained in the great square before the 
palace. 

With care and gentleness the Spaniards carried the 
body of Montezuma to his own apartments. As soon as 
he recovered from his insensibility, the full misery of 
his situation broke upon him. He, the once great and 
powerful Montezuma, had been reviled and rejected by 
his own people. Utterly crushed in spirit, he refused 



166 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

all food or assistance, even tearing off the bandages 
which the Spaniards applied to his wounds. He sat 
motionless, with eyes cast upon the gi'ound, perpetually 
brooding over his humiliation, and gradually grew so 
weak that he could scarcely sit upright. 

A body of Mexicans now took possession of the fa- 
mous temple to the war god, Huitzilopochtli, which was 
opposite the Spanish palace, and rose to a height of 
nearly a hundred and fifty feet. From this vantage 
point the Aztecs discharged such a volley of arrows 
upon the garrison, that it was impossible for any soldier 
to show himself for an instant outside the wall of the 
palace, without being immediately struck. The Mexi- 
cans, meanwhile, were complete ly sheltered. As it was 
absolutely necessary that they b '■ driven from this point 
of vantage, Cortes intrusted the task to his chamber- 
lain, Escobar, giving him a hundred men for the pur- 
pose. Three desperate attempts were made, but being 
repulsed with considerable loss, this officer returned, 
and Cortes determined to lead the storming party him- 
self. A wound in his left hand had almost disabled it, 
but he strapped his shield to the injured member and 
thus sallied forth. 

Several thousand of the Tlascalan allies were with 
him, and, at the head of three hundred chosen cavaliers, 
he now dashed from the palace. In the courtyard 
of the temple, a body of Mexicans was drawn up to dis- 
pute his passage, but he charged them briskly, and, 
although the horses could not stand up and had to be 
returned to the Spanish quarters, the Aztecs were dis- 
persed. The cavaliers and their Indian allies now 



HERNANDO CORTES 167 

pressed up to the flight of stone steps which led into 
the teocalli. The warriors were drawn up on every 
terrace, as well as on the topmost platform, and 
showered down heavy stones, beams, and burning raft- 
ers. The Spaniards kept on, in spite of the fact that 
many of them were badly wounded by the falling 
beams and arrows, and, aided by a brisk fire from the 
muskateers below, soon drove the Aztecs to the broad 
summit of the teocalli. Here a desperate hand-to-hand 
fight took place. 

As the edge of the platform was unprotected by either 
battlement or parapet, many of the combatants, as they 
struggled together, rolled off, locked in a deadly death- 
grip. Two powerful Aztecs seized upon Cortes, at 
one stage of the battle, and were dragging him violently 
toward the side of the pyramid, when, by sheer 
strength, he tore himself from their grasp and hurled 
one of them over the edge. 

At the beginning of the fight for the possession of 
this temple, the priests ran to and fro among the con- 
testants, with their long hair streaming out behind them. 
With wild gestures they encouraged and urged on the 
Indians, until they were all either killed or captured 
by the onrushing Spanish cavaliers. 

One by one the Indian warriors fell dead upon the 
blood-drenched pavement, or were hurled from the 
dizzy height to the pavement below, until, at last, none 
were left to oppose the white men. The Spaniards, 
with yells of victory, now rushed into the sanctuaries. 
In one was the hideous image of Huitzilopochtli 
with an offering of human hearts before him. Pos- 



168 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

sibly these were those of their own countrymen ! With 
loud shouts of triumph the Spaniards tore the hideous 
idol from its niche, and, as the Aztecs watched, hurled 
it down the long steps of the teocalli. Then the sanctu- 
aries were set on fire, and, descending jo;y^ully to the 
courtyard, the soldiers set up a great song of thanks- 
giving for their victory. 

Cortes now hoped that the natives were sufficiently 
subdued to be willing to come to terms with him, so 
he invited them to a parley, and addressed the principal 
chiefs. He talked to them from the turret previously 
occupied by Montezuma, and, as usual, had Marina 
to interpret for him. 

" You have brought all this slaughter upon your- 
selves by your rebellion," he said. " Yet, for the sake 
of the affection felt for you by the sovereign whom 
you have treated so unworthily, I would willingly stay 
my hand if you will lay down your arms and return 
once more to obedience to me. If you do not do this, 
I will make your city a heap of ruins, and will leave 
not a single soul alive to mourn over it." 

The Aztecs replied in a manner which was quite 
unexpected. 

" It is quite true that you have destroyed our gods, 
massacred our countr^onen, and broken our temple to 
pieces. But look out upon our streets and terraces. 
You see them thronged with warriors as far as your eyes 
can reach," said the Indian who had been chosen 
spokesman. " Our numbers are scarcely diminished 
by our losses. Yours, on the contrary, are lessened 
every hour. Your provisions and your water are fail- 



HERNANDO CORTES 169 

ing ; you are perishing from hunger and from sickness ; 
you must soon fall into our hands. The bridges 
are broken down and you cannot escape! There 
will be few of you left to glut the vengeance of our 
gods." 

With this tart reply, they discharged a volley of ar- 
rows, which compelled the Spaniards to beat a speedy 
retreat. 

To retreat was hazardous, indeed, and it was morti- 
fying to abandon the city; but, with his men daily di- 
minishing in strength and in numbers, and with his 
stock of provisions so nearly exhausted that one small 
daily ration of bread was all that the soldiers had, there 
was nothing else for Cortes to do. Montezuma had 
lingered feebly along, after the day in which he had 
been struck by a stone, and now passed to another world. 
" The tidings of this," says an old historian, " were re- 
ceived with real grief by every cavalier and soldier in 
the army who had access to his person, for we all loved 
him as a father." The Emperor's death was a mis- 
fortune for the Spaniards, because, while he lived, 
there was a slight possibility of using his influence 
with the natives. Now that hope had disappeared. 

A council was called to decide as speedily as possible 
the all-important question of the retreat. It was agreed 
that they should leave at once, and at night, so that 
darkness would cloak their movements. The safe con- 
veyance of the treasure was quite a problem, but the 
soldiers had converted their share into gold chains, or 
collars, which could be easily carried about their per- 
sons. The royal fifth, however, was in bars and wedges 



170 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

of solid gold. It could be carried only by horse, and a 
special guard had to be provided for it. But much 
treasure had to be abandoned, and it lay in shining 
heaps upon the floor of the palace. 

The soldiers who had come with Cortes, being old 
campaigners, did not load themselves down with more 
than they could safely transport. The soldiers of 
Narvaez, however, being keen for the accumulation of 
treasure, loaded themselves down with all that they 
could possibly carry off with them. 

As the retreat was to be over the causeway and dykes, 
a portable bridge was constructed which could be laid 
across the open canals. This was entrusted to the care 
of an officer named Magarino and forty men. Cortes 
arranged the order of march. First was to go two hun- 
dred Spanish foot soldiers, commanded by a Captain 
Sandoval, with twenty other cavaliers. The rear guard 
was formed of infantry under Alvarado and De Leon, 
while the center was in charge of Cortes, himself, with 
some heavy guns, the baggage and the treasure. There 
were also the prisoners, among whom were a son and 
two daughters of Montezuma, Cacama, and several 
nobles. The Indian allies, the Tlascalans, were di- 
vided up among the three divisions. There were sev- 
eral thousand of these. 

Midnight came and all was ready for the journey. 
A solemn mass was celebrated by Father Almedo, and, 
keeping as quiet as they possibly could, the Spaniards 
sallied forth from the ancient palace of the Aztecs, 
which had been the scene of so much suffering and 
fighting. The night was a dark one, and a fine, misty 



HERNANDO CORTES 171 

rain fell steadily upon the serried columns of Spanish 
cavaliers and brown-skinned natives. 

The vast square before the palace was deserted. 
Through some superstitious dread, the natives had not 
frequented the plaza since the death of their Emperor, 
Montezuma, and the Spaniards crossed it as noiselessly 
as possible, entering the great street of Tlacopan. 
They peered anxiously into the gloom, expecting to be 
attacked at any moment by a swarm of Aztecs, but all 
went well with them until the first files of soldiers drew 
near the spot where the street opened upon the cause- 
way, which led by the side of the lake. Here there 
were Mexican sentinels at their posts, and, as the bridge 
was being adjusted across the uncovered breach, the 
Aztecs fled, crying out in loud tones that the hated 
white men were leaving the city. 

Immediately there was a commotion. The priests 
heard the shouting from the summits of their teocalli 
and beat upon the peculiar shells which were used for 
rousing the people. The huge drum upon the temple 
of the god of war was struck and gave forth a hollow, 
moaning roar which vibrated through every comer of 
the capital. The Spaniards were alarmed and worked 
with desperate fury to place their bridge across the 
causeway so that the army could escape. But, as the 
soldiers labored valorously, a sound was heard like a 
stormy wind as it rises in a forest. Nearer and nearer 
it came, and, from the dark waters of the lake came the 
splashing of many paddles. A few stones and arrows 
fell among the hurrying troops, !^^ore and more fol- 
lowed in rapid succession until they became a veritable 



172 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

blinding storm. Yells and shrill war-cries rent the air, 
and, before the Spaniards well realized their position, 
they found themselves surrounded by myriads of the 
enemy, who were swarming over land and lake. 

The Aztecs ran their canoes along the sides of the 
causeway, climbed up, and charged the ranks of the 
Spaniards, with their Tlascalan allies. The soldiers 
shook them oJBF as best they could, rode over them with 
their horses, and, with their pikes and their swords, 
drove them headlong down the sides of the dike. They 
halted and waited for the bridge to be brought up; 
but a terrible calamity had occurred, for the bridge 
had been so borne down by the weight of the artillery 
passing over it, that it had jammed firmly into the sides 
of the dike and was immovable. 

The tidings spread rapidly from man to man and a 
cry of despair arose, for all means of advance were 
cut off, and the Spaniards were caught in a trap. Those 
behind pressed forward, trampling the weak and the 
wounded under foot, and forcing those in front over the 
gulf. Some of the cavaliers succeeded in swimming 
their horses across, but many rolled back into the lake 
when attempting to ascend the opposite bank. The in- 
fantry followed in a panic, and many of the men were 
pierced by the Aztec arrows, or struck down by war 
clubs. Some were dragged into the canoes to be later 
sacrificed to the great and awful stone god. Fierce 
battle cries rose above the timiult of war, and these 
were mingled with the cries of despair of the drowning 
Spaniards. 

By degrees the opening in the causeway was filled 



HERNANDO CORTES 173 

up by the wreck of the wagons, guns, rich bales of stuffs, 
chests of solid ingots, and bodies of men and horses. 
Walking on top of this dismal ruin, those in the rear 
were able to reach the other side. 

As the attention of the Aztec warriors now fell upon 
the rich spoil that strewed the ground, the pursuit of 
the Spaniards ceased. The troops pressed forward 
through the village of Popotla, where Cortes dismounted 
from his weary war-horse, and, sitting down upon the 
steps of an Indian temple, looked mournfully at his 
broken army, as the thin and disordered ranks filed 
past. It was a heartrending spectacle. He knew, 
however, that this was no time to give away to vain re- 
grets, so he speedily mounted, and led his men through 
Tlacopan. 

The broken army, disorganized and half starved, 
moved slowly toward the sea coast. On the seventh day 
it reached the mountain range which overlooks the 
plains of Otumba, and the scouts, climbing the steep 
hillside, reported that a mighty host of warriors was 
in the valley, ready to dispute their passage. Every 
chief of importance had taken the field, and, as far as 
the eye could reach, extended a moving mass of glitter- 
ing shields and spears, mingled with the banners and 
the bright feather-mail of the caciques. 

Cortes disposed his army to the best advantage, and 
prepared to cut his way through the enemy. He gave 
his force as broad a front as possible, protecting it on 
either flank by his cavalry, now reduced to but twenty 
horsemen. Ilis directions to his iufantr>anen was that 
they were to thrust, not strike, with their swords, and 



174 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

were to make for the leaders of the enemy, whom they 
were to dispatch as soon as met with. After a few 
brave words of encouragement, the little band began to 
descend the hill. The enemy set up fierce war cries, 
as they approached, and met the Spaniards with a storm 
of stones and arrows. 

Now occurred a bitter fight. The Spaniards, at first, 
beat through the crowd of natives, but, as the battle 
progressed, they were surrounded on every side by a 
swarm of warriors. Cortes received a wound in the 
head and his horse was killed beneath him, so that he 
was obliged to mount one taken from the baggage train. 
His men became exhausted beneath the fiery rays of 
the sun and began to give way. The enemy, on the 
other hand, was constantly being reenforced from the 
rear, and pressed on with redoubled fury. 

Matters were critical for the Spaniards, when Cortes 
did a deed of daring which was quite worthy of the 
Chevalier Bayard, or Murat, the famous Napoleonic 
leader of horse. With his keen eye he discovered in 
the distance a chief, who, from his dress and surround- 
ings, he knew to be the leader of the Aztec forces. 
Turning to his favorite henchmen, the brave Spaniard 
cried out, while pointing his finger at the chief: 

" There is our mark ! Follow and support me ! " 

Then, shouting his war cry, he plunged into the 
thickest of the press and bore towards the noble Aztec. 

The enemy was taken completely by surprise and 
fell back. !Many could not dodge aside and were 
trampled down by the war-horse, or pierced by the 
long lance which Cortes wielded Avith all the skill of 



HEKNANDO CORTES 175 

a trained fencer. The cavalier companions of the gal- 
lant Spaniard followed him closely, and, in a few mo- 
ments, they bad come within striking distance of the 
Aztec chieftain. Cortes rode speedily at him, and, 
thrusting with his lance, brought him to earth, where he 
was stabbed to death b}' a young Spaniard called Juan 
de Salamanca. Tearing his banner from his clinched 
fist, the Castilian presented it to Cortes, who waved it 
triumphantly above his head. The caciques' guard, 
surprised by this sudden onset, fled precipitously, while 
the panic spread to the other Indians. The Span- 
iards pursued them for several miles, then returned to 
secure the rich booty which they had left behind them. 
Truly the battle had been won by the daring and per- 
sonal initiative of the brave Spanish leader. 

The adventurers were now safely out of their grave 
peril. They reached Tlascala in a few days, and, with 
the assistance of their native allies, at once prepared to 
revenge themselves upon the Aztecs. Several Spiin- 
iards were at Vera Cruz and these joined them. But 
there was much need of gunpowder, and there was no 
way of getting sulphur for its manufacture, unless it 
was obtained from one of the many volcanoes in the 
neighborhood. How was this to be done ? 

A cavalier, named Francio Montaiio, was equal to 
the emergency and suggested that he be allowed to de- 
scend into the terrible volcano of Popocatepetl, where 
sulphur, in a crude form, hung to the side of the crater. 
Cortes was only too willing to allow him to make the 
attempt, so accompanied by several others, he set out. 
After great hai'dship, and, after passing through a re- 



176 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

gion of perpetual snow, the explorers reached the mouth 
of the fierce volciuio, and, crawling cautiously to the 
very edge, they peered down into its gloomy depths. 
At the bottom of the dark abyss a lurid flame was burn- 
ing, and, every now and again, arose a sulphurous 
stream, which, cooling as it came upward, fell again in 
showers upon the side of the cavity. It was necessary 
to descend into this crater, with the boiling lava below, 
in order to scrape some of the sulphur from the sides. 

Montano himself drew the longest stem of grass, 
when the Spaniards had prepared lots to see who should 
descend, and, clinging to a basket and rope, was soon 
four hundred feet within the horrible chasm. As he 
hung there, he scraped the sulphur from the sides of 
the crater, descending again and again, until he had 
procured enough for the wants of the army. Then, 
with great elation, the adventurous sulphur hunters re- 
turned to Tlascala, where their arrival was greeted with 
shouts of joy. 

Cortes was fully prepared to march again to the 
Mexican capital and to wreak vengeance upon the 
Aztecs, who were now governed by Guatemozin, a young 
prince who had married one of Montezuma's daughters. 

The Spanish army consisted of about six hundred 
men, of which forty were cavalry, and eighty were 
arquebusiers and cross-bowmen. There were nine 
cannon. The men were armed with swords and with 
long copper-headed pikes, which had been specially con- 
structed under the direction of the General. There 
were, also, the Tlasealan allies, who were still anxious 
and willing to fight their hated enemies, the Jiztecs. 



HERNANDO CORTES 177 

^Numerous other bauds of Indians also flocked to the 
Spanish standard. 

Cortes determined to march to Tezcuco, establish his 
headquarters upon the side of the great lake which was 
near the Mexican capital, and to begin a blockade of 
the city of the Aztecs, until some ships, which he was 
having constructed, could be brought to him. Then he 
could transport his troops to the edge of the city and 
begin a direct assault. 

Everything went well with both ships and men. The 
vessels reached the lake in good order, were launched, 
and were filled with soldiers. The plan of action 
against the city was to send the cavalier, Sandoval, with 
one division, to take possession of Iztapalapan at the 
southern end of the lake, while Alvarado and Olid were 
to secure Tlacopan and Chapultepec upon the western 
shore, destroy the aqueduct, and thus cut off the city's 
supply of fresh water. This was successfully done and 
soon the Spaniards had penetrated into the city as far 
as the great teocalli. The natives were driven before 
them, while the Tlascalans in the rear filled up the 
gaps and brought up the cannon. 

As you remember, it was at the great teocalli that 
the most serious fighting occurred when the Spaniards 
were previously driven from the city. Now still fiercer 
battling took place and the Spaniards again captured 
tliis toiny)le of the war-god. Some of them rushed to 
tlie top and there found a fresh image to Huitzilopoclitli. 
Tearing off the gold and jewels with which it was be- 
decked, they hurled it, with its atfondaiit priests, over 
the side, with a mighty yell of defiance. Then they 



178 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

hastened below to the assistance of their comrades, who 
were being furiously assailed by the Aztecs. 

Things were going ill with the Spaniards and they 
were being driven down the great street of the city in 
hopeless confusion and panic. Luck was with them, 
however, for a small force of cavalry now arrived, 
charged into the mass of yelping Indians, and drove 
them back again to the teocalli. Here Cortes attacked 
by the tlank and the natives retired in confusion and 
dismay. Evening was now coming on, so the Spanish 
troops retreated in good order, their Tlascalan allies 
pnlling down many of the houses as they departed. The 
palace of Montezuma was set atire, and this sight so 
maddened the Aztecs, that they redoubled their efforts 
to head off the disappearing white men. It was of 
no avail. The attacking Spaniards soon reached Xoloc, 
where they learned that many of the native tribes, see- 
ing the Mexicans unable to hold the city, would join 
with the men from Castile. 

After months of siege the Aztecs still defied the con- 
querors and fiercely rejected all overtures of peace, 
although the banner of Castile floated undisturbed from 
the smoldering remains of the sanctuary on the teocalli 
of the war-god. Iluudreds of famishing wretches died 
every day and lay where they fell, with no one to bury 
them. In the midst of all this brutality and misery, 
Guatemozin remained calm and courageous, and was 
as firmly resolved as ever not to capitulate. 

An assault was ordered, and, although the Mexicans 
fought valiantly, they were weakened by stiirvation 
and could not stniffffle as before. After a bloodv bat- 



HERNANDO CORTES 179 

tie, the Spanish commander withdrew to his quarters, 
leaving behind him forty thousand corpses and a smol- 
dering ruin. This blow seemed to utterly stun the Az- 
tecs. 

Cortes now determined to secure the person of 
Guatemozin, so, upon the following day, August 13th., 
1521, the Spaniards again advanced into the town and 
were soon battling fiercely with the Aztecs. While this 
was going on several canoes pushed off across the lake. 
The Spanish ships gave chase and sunk most of them, 
but a few succeeded in getting into open water. Two 
or three large canoes, close together, attracted the at- 
tention of a soldier, named Garci Ilolguin, who in- 
stantly gave chase, and, with a favorable wind, soon 
overtook the fugitives, although they rowed with great 
energy. The Spaniards leveled their guns at the In- 
dians, when one rose, saying: 

" I am Guatemozin. Lead me to Malinche. I am 
his prisoner. But let no harm come to my wife and 
to my followers." 

The Emperor was taken on board one of the ships 
and was ordered to call upon his people to surrender. 

" There is no need of this," he answered sadly, " for 
they will fight no longer when they see that their Em- 
peror has been captured." 

He had spoken correctly, for, when the news of his 
capture reached the shore, the Mexicans at once ceased 
to defend themselves. They had put up a hard bat- 
tle in order to give their Sovereign an opportunity to 
escape. 

Cortes had been watching the affair from the flat 



180 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

roof of one of the houses and now sent word that 
Guatemozin should be brought before him. He came, 
escorted bj Sandoval and Holguin, both of whom 
claimed the honor of having captured him. The Span- 
ish conqueror came forward with dignided courtesy to 
receive the noble prisoner. 

** I have done all that I could to defend myself and 
my people," said Guatemozin. ** I am now reduced 
to this awful state. Deal with me, Malinche, as you 
will.'' Then, laying his hand upon a dagger which 
hung from the belt of the Spanish invader, he added: 
'' Better dispatch me at once with this, and rid me of 
life." 

Cortes smiled. 

'* Fear not,'' said he. " You will be treated with 
honor. You have defended your capital like a brave 
warrior, and a Spaniard knows how to respect valor, 
even in an enemy." 

In spite of these remarks he treated him with grreat 
cruelty, for, when the city w;\s entered and less treasure 
was found there than had been expected, Cortes caused 
poor Guatemozin to be tortured. Fire and cord could 
not, however, wring the secret of the treasure from this 
illustrious Prince. Later on he was hang^, upon the 
pretense that he had conspired against the Spaniards. 

The Aztec dead were now collected and burned in 
hugt^ bonfires. Those who were still alive were allowed 
to leave the city, and for three days a mournful train 
of men, women, and children straggled feebly acrvvss 
the causeways, sick and wounded, wasted with famine 
and with miserv, .rU^iin and afrain thev turned to 



HERNANDO CORTES 181 

take one more look at the spot which had once been 
their home. When they were gone, the Spanish con- 
querors took possession of the place and purified it as 
speedily as possible, burying those who were not burned 
in the bonfires. 

The treasures of gold and of jewels w'hich were 
found fell far short of the expectations of the con- 
querors, for the Aztecs, no doubt, had buried their 
hoards, or sunk them in the lake on purpose to disap- 
point the avarice of their enemies. 

Thus, after three months of continued fighting, the 
renowned capital of the Aztecs fell before Cortes and 
his men. The Mexicans had put up a courageous fight 
and had suffered much, but they had been no match for 
the soldiers from Cuba and from Spain. 

The Aztecs would not have thus gone down to ruin, 
had they not ruthlessly made war upon the neighbor- 
ing states, which caused them to be hated. Their hu- 
man sacrifices had angered their weaker neighbors, and 
thus Cortes had secured the aid of the Tlascalans, with- 
out whose assistance he could never have won the 
fight. 

Cortes and his Spaniards were now masters of Mex- 
ico. A brave man with equally brave followers had con- 
quered an entire empire! 

Aid what of the future days of this bold-hearted 
explorer ? Alas ! These were similar to those which 
came to Columbus, the Navigator. Poor, forsaken by 
the King of Spain, surrounded by persons who were 
jealous of his position and his fame, the once rich and 
prosperous adventurer died miserably at Castilleja, 



182 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

Spain, on December second, 1547, at the age of sixty- 
two. With him was his devoted son, Martin, a youth 
of fifteen. 

Cortes was entombed in the land of his birth, but 
this was not to be his last resting place, for his remains 
were taken across the sea to the country which he had 
conquered. He was buried for the second time in the 
Franciscan monastery at Tezcuco ; then, for a third time, 
in the church of St. Francis in the City of Mexico. On 
this occasion, which was sixty-seven years after the first 
entombment, all the dignitaries of Mexico marched in 
procession through the streets of the city. Still again, 
in 1794, there was another removal of the General's 
moldering dust to the hospital of Jesus, where a monu- 
ment of bronze was erected to his fame and glory. 

In 1823 there was yet another disturbance of what 
remained of our hero. The previous removals of his 
ashes had been inspired by regard, but now a revolu- 
tionary mob of frenzied Mexicans, in order to show its 
hatred and detestation of the Spanish conquerors, en- 
deavored to desecrate the tomb. To prevent this, the 
casket, in the dead of night, was secretly carried away 
by the Duke of Monteleone, a descendant of Cortes on 
the female line, and for more than seventy years re- 
mained in a place of safety. Monteleone, himself, was 
killed in one of the many Mexican revolutions, and all 
knowledge was lost of the spot w4icre he had hidden the 
ashes of the conqueror. Yet, within a few years, the 
remains have been discovered and a movement has been 
started to have them placed in the national pantheon, 
a temple in the City of Mexico, erected to all those who 



HERNANDO CORTES 183 

have made great names in the history of this turbulent 
republic. 

So at last, perhaps, the valiant Cortes will receive the 
honor that is due him. 



FERDINAND MAGELLAN: 

EXPERT MARINER, WHOSE FOLLOWERS 
WERE THE FIRST TO CIRCUM- 
NAVIGATE THE GLOBE 

(1480-1521) 



FERDINAND MAGELLAN: 

EXPERT MARINER, WHOSE FOLLOWERS 
WERE THE FIRST TO CIRCUM- 
NAVIGATE THE GLOBE 
(1480-1521) 



C 



i < .rfO« OME hither, page, I want you." 

A little boy ran through the corridors of the 
palace of King John of Portugal as this cry 
rang out, and, kneeling at the feet of the Queen, kissed 
her hand. 

" That is a good boy," said Queen Leonora, smiling. 
" Ferdinand, I wish to say that you need not accompany 
me this afternoon, but can go out hawking." 

" Thank you, Your Majesty," said the little boy, and, 
scampering off, he was soon outside the palace, where 
some of the men-at-arms took him hunting. This was 
much more to his liking than staying near the Queen 
and carrying messages for her, which he was expected 
to do nearly every day in the week. 

Little Ferdinand had been bom about the year 1470 
at the Villa de Sabroza, which is situated about the 
center of that part of Portugal which lies north of the 
River Douro. His family was a noble one .and con- 
sequently it had been easy for the youth to obtain a 
position of page at Court, a position which in those 

187 



In 1470 jt Ttac^e was taxui^t sras^tt^iiur d t^ bsrcKTc 

d his r^ aKKJiT : rr ^f 

o;i>BPS.. ..< ■ " .^i. «o en- 

able him tc - - ^-nA was 

al«f^ tau^* bo«r Kv reai sod 7f> -mrntek. He mj^s sbo»«Ti 
^ .■-■..- firqooims; 

] : :> ^. .... , „.;^ This 

-was snpjw>9eid w» consdtoi^e lie edncatian of a Parro- 
CTie^f pRLdranan. and. as ibere was some Tivairr axDocoi; 



T: d^vs JurhcL a3i eve* wesre mrned npiHi the 

Xevr f'.vd the rewnii ^i^--— -— ^ - Amfrica. 

lEverr Tcr .^', sf ymiih was aiLs. v the sea, 

perhaps to hewane a p-^ai csiplorer or naxT^iatar, The 
disww»err of a rcmrf ~ - - - ",f. 

serrice cd Spain hac i. .-.- ,- :.,_r:s 

cd tiie Poimumese. and all patrioDr sailors were anximxs 

to coast dawn ibe African sihart, and. if possdhle. to £nd 

- . - . . -_..-- ^- _- Yomng 

^ yoD can 

TejidDT see liiat he eafiferlv looked for a chance when he 
and coTiid hecome a : 

The iiz. ..nd did nrc have to look far, or 
Inwj. hefnre he had an oT^ornmity to foDow the sea. 
Ve ind xha; hf ~ nriceahip under a fa- 
mans naviratnr :- .- . -jae, 'vduk, ahhonch hf 



i'EBBINA^rD MAGELLAN 189 

maintained a strict military discipline over big follow- 
ers, waa wise, humane, and jnst in his dealings with 
them. Yonng Ferdinand spent much time in the In- 
dies, where he had an excellent opportunity to 3tudy 
and learn by experience how to govern men, 30, when 
Albuquerque was recalled to Portugal, he went with 
him, only to find that the King would give him but 
sli^t recognition for his gervicea. This angered the 
high-spirited young fellow. 

^* I will leave the seT^ce of ^ich a monarcii, ' ^aid 
he, '* and will go to Spain. There, I hear, 'he-^ know 
how to treat a valiant man," 

So, accompanied by one Roy Palero, who had earned 

quite a reputation as a geographer and 1 .er, he 

sought out Charles the Fifth at Seville, ^ . ^ that 
the King allow him men and money for a journey of 
exploration. 

*'*' I wish to sail westward,'' said he, " and will dis- 
cover a new route to tbe Indies. If your gracious 
Majesty will but help me, I will find new lands which 
v'"' ' '-^r.me the ' !:e Crown of Castile.'' 

,...i:.>:s the i .. ... ..-: _: -on of Ferdinand and 

r^abella, waa King of Spain, and also ^Ifonarch <xf 
Austria ; one crown being his by ri^t of his mother, 
the ----- - inheritance from his father. He waa a 

man • ideaii. so, when this project was presented 

to him, he heartily approved, saying: 

" Of course you shall go, and I ^ you the 

money, the men, and the ships. Bur m .i.^r you liis- 
cover must belong to the King of Spain, — Understand 
this!'' 



190 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

" We do." 

" Then you may sail, and God be with you ! " 

Five ships were soon fitted out for the expedition. 
Their crews numbered two hundred and thirty-seven 
men and Ferdinand was commissioned Admiral of the 
squadron, a position which pleased him mightily. The 
caravels turned southward, and, leaving Seville on 
August 10th., 1519, lazed along until they reached the 
Gulf of Guinea on the west coast of Africa, where the 
ships cast anchor. By and by a trade-wind came along, 
and aided by this and by the South Equatorial cur- 
rent, the vessels made a safe and easy passage across 
the Atlantic, to the shore of Brazil. 

The Spaniards were delighted with what they saw, 
for they found a large, fresh-water river, seventeen 
miles across, and at its mouth were seven islands. Go- 
ing ashore the sailors saw many brown-skinned natives, 
who ran away whenever they approached, yelling like 
demons. One of them " had the stature of a giant 
and the voice of a bull," but even he skipped headlong 
into the brush as the men from Castile made after 
him. When the Spaniards reached the village of these 
Brazilians they found the remains of human beings 
roasting on their fires. They stood aghast, for these 
fellows were cannibals ! 

The ships were headed southward and languidly 
cruised along the coast to Patagonia where the ex- 
plorers lingered for two full months, eagerly looking 
for precious stones and for human beings. But they 
found none of the former and only one of the latter, 
this fellow being a giant who came down to the shore 



FERDINAND MAGELLAN 191 

dancing, singing, and throwing dust over his head- 
lie was so tall, says an old chronicler of this voyage, 
that the head of a middling-sized man reached only to 
his waist; he was well-proportioned; his visage was 
large and painted with different colors, principally 
with yellow. There were red circles about his eyes 
and something like a beard was pictured on either 
cheek. His hair was colored white and his apparel 
was the skin of some beast, laced together, the head of 
which appeared to have been very large. It had ears 
like a mule, the body of a camel, and the tail of a horse : 
the skin of it was wrapped about his feet in the manner 
of shoes. In his hand was a short, thick bow and a 
bundle of arrows, made of reeds and pointed with sharp 
stones. 

Magellan invited the giant Patagonian on board his 
flag-ship, and, when the old fellow had mounted the 
rope-ladder leading over the side, presented him with 
hawk's bells, a comb, some blue beads, and a look- 
ing glass, into which the dusky-hued savage took a 
glance. 

" Hu — rruu ! ! " 'No sooner had he seen his own 
horrid appearance than he started backwards, with such 
violence, that he knocked down two sailors who were 
standing behind him. He slipped, fell down on the 
deck, and, when he arose, stood there shivering. His 
own face, never seen before, had terrorized him. After 
awhile he was rowed ashore, still quaking and rolling 
his eyes with unpleasant recollections of what he had 
seen. 

The Spaniards laughed heartily at what had oc- 



192 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS^ 

curred, but the next day a man of still greater stature 
camo to visit them. lie sang some native songs, 
danced on the deck, and brought out some skins which 
he traded for glass beads and other trinkets. Then he 
disappeared and did not return, which led the voyagers 
^to the belief that his countrymen had made away with 
liim because of the friendship which they had shown 
towards, him. 

This did not deter other natives from paddling out 
to the ships, and four soon came on board. These were 
presented with beads, with bells, and similar trifles. 
But the Spaniards determined to trick them, so fast- 
ened iron shackles around the ankles of two of them, 
as if for ornaments. The ignorant Indians professed 
great delight with the shining bands of metal, but, 
when they were ready to leave the vessel, the fraud 
was discovered. It was certainly a cruel way to treat 
the poor South Americans. 

As for the other two, they dove over the side of the 
vessel and swam to land, as soon as they perceived 
what had happened to their companions, who began to 
roar " as loud as bulls," and implored the assistance 
of their God, the gi'cat devil Sctcbos. It was of no 
avail. The Spaniards would not let them go and took 
them with them when they sailed further south. They 
called them Pa'fagonians, for their feet were covered 
with skins, and*the Portuguese word pata means a hoof 
or paw. 

■ Now trouble t?eset Magellan, the same kind of trouble 
which Columbus luul with ]i\> men. His followers grew 
rebellious, tiud Threatened to 1m 'V into open mutiny. 



FERDINAND MAGELLAN 193 

Winter was at hand, and the ships were laid up for the 
cold weather, but this forced inactivity made the sail- 
ors begin to think about home, and they grew restless 
and discontented. They requested their commander 
to set sail for Spain, but this he refused to do. 
The sailors talked the matter over, and their sense 
of oppression grew stronger and stronger. So they 
decided to take possession of the ships, put the Admiral 
to death, imprison or kill such of the superior officers 
as refused to acknowledge the authority of the muti- 
neers, and to return to Spain with a story that their 
commander had been swept overboard in a storm. 

The leader of this conspiracy was one Luis de Men- 
doza, who was assisted by a Roman Catholic priest, 
Juan de Carthagena, who had accompanied the ex- 
pedition so that the Spaniards might not be without 
s])iritual assistance during their roving trips into un- 
known seas. Fortunately for the Admiral this plot 
was disclosed to him in time to prevent its execution, 
lie had a trial and found the mutineers guilty. Many 
were sentenced to be hanged, drawn, and quartered. 

But the priest was allowed to have his life, for the 
Spaniards were too good Catholics to harm any one who 
iiad devoted his days to the Church. Carthagena was 
not injured ; but was simply put under arrest, guarded 
])y one of the captains. The man of God was forced 
into the stocks: an instrument made of two pieces of 
wood placed one upon the other and pierced by two holes 
in which were inserted the legs of the person who was to 
be punished. 

There were many others who were less guilty than 



194 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

Mendoza, but who were deserving of punishment. To 
have retained these on board, after a short period of 
imprisonment, was to invite another mutiny, so Magel- 
lan determined to put the remaining mutineers on shore 
and leave them to the mercy of the native Patagonians. 
They were seated in the boats, were landed, and the 
ships sailed southward, never to return. 

The men had now been away from Spain for about 
a year; the long and cold winter was drawing to a 
close; they were plowing towards the south with the 
land ever in view upon the starboard. Would they 
reach a point where the ships could enter the South Sea 
from the Atlantic? 

Magellan was determined either to die or to bring 
the expedition to a successful conclusion, so one day 
he addressed his sailors as follows: 

" My men," said he, " the Emperor has assigned 
me to the course which I am to take, and I cannot and 
will not depart from it under any pretext whatsoever. 
If our provisions grow scarce, you can add to your ra- 
tions by fishing and hunting on the land. I will not 
put back, under any consideration, and if any of yon 
speak to me again of this, I will throw you overboard 
where the sharks can have a full meal." 

Seeing the determination of their leader the sailors 
said nothing more. 

The vessels kept onward, and, having reached a point 
about fifty-two degrees south of the equator, were 
obliged to lay to in a harbor near the shore. The men 
secured an ample supply of fish, of fuel, and of fresh 
water, and, thus well provided, the prows were again 



FERDINAND MAGELLAN 195 

turned in a southerly directiou. Suddenly the coast 
seemed to turn westward. The sailors saw land on 
either side of them : sometimes there was scarcely a mile 
between coast and islands. 

This began to look interesting, as if, at last, they 
were nearing that unknown sea for which they searched. 
The prows of the caravels were now turned due west, 
and, with sails well filled by tempestuous winds, the 
Spanish ships j)lowed onward, ever onward, until they 
emerged from among the rocky islands, which sur- 
rounded them, into a broad and peaceful ocean. Hur- 
rah ! Magellan had entered the gray waters of that 
sea which Balboa had seen from the palm-clad hills 
of the Isthmus of Panama. 

It was a warm, still day when the caravels forged 
ahead through the straits which were ever afterwards 
to bear the name of this Spanish adventurer, and, re- 
membering the dreary winter upon the coast of Pata- 
gonia, Magellan named the ocean the Pacific, for all 
seemed beauty and peace after the troublous times 
which had passed. His men scrambled ashore, erected 
a huge cross, and called the place Cape Desire, a name 
well suited to their hopes of finding a route to India 
with its treasures of gems and of spices. 

There was trouble in store for them, in spite of the 
pacific greeting which the vast ocean had given them. 
Turning westward and northward, for three long 
months the caravels tossed upon the oily swells with 
no sight of land. All the provisions were finally con- 
sumed and the water casks were almost empty. Food 
was obtained by soaking old leather in seawater to 



196 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

soften it, and so weak were many of the sailors that 
they could not perform their duties. Nineteen died, 
including the two Patagonians. 

But the ocean was truly pacific, it was like glass. 
No storms threatened, no tempests alarmed them, and, 
after sailing four thousand miles, the adventurers sud- 
denly were cheered by the sight of land. Eagerly they 
drew near and went ashore, only to find two small, 
treeless, and uninhabited islands which they called the 
Unfortunate Isles. Certainly these sea rovers were 
having a rough time of it ! 

The Spaniards were upon the outskirts of Polynesia, 
and, as they sailed onward, soon came upon a number 
of islands where they obtained plenty of food from the 
dusky-hued natives who eagerly swarmed around them 
in skin boats. The islanders also stole everything 
which they could get their hands on, including one of 
the long boats, which they paddled ashore and hid near 
their village. This angered the men from Castile ex- 
ceedingly, so they determined to punish the Polyne- 
sians, and that right quickly. 

Arming themselves, and putting on their steel hel- 
mets and breastplates, the Spaniards now went ashore, 
shot at the natives with their guns, drove them from 
their village, smashed their canoes, and burned their 
huts. After killing seven of the yelping bro^vn-skin^, 
they seized their lost boat, rowed it back to the ship, 
hoisted sail, and left for other scenes. Magellan re- 
venged himself further by calling these islands the 
Ijisular Latronuni, or " Islands of Thieves." They 
are now called the Ladrones. 



FERDINAND MAGELLAN 197 

It was the month of March, 1521. The air was 
balmy and the navigators much enjoyed the sight of 
many beauteous islands in the South Sea. They landed 
upon one of them, pitched a tent for the accommodation 
of the sick, and killed a stout porker which they had 
obtained from the thieving natives. After their diet 
of leather, soaked in sea water, this fresh meat was 
appreciated. In fact they had a good, old-fashioned 
banquet, such as one is accustomed to on Thanks- 
giving day. After this they chanted the Te Deum 
and had a siesta beneath the shadows of the trees. 

They had remained here about a week when nine 
men came paddling up in a canoe, and brought presents 
of cocoa-wine and some golden trinkets. These were 
eagerly accepted, and the visitors rowed away, promis- 
ing by signs to return in four days with flesh, fowls, 
and rice. This promise they kept, and, when they ar- 
rived, offered to exchange various kinds of spices and 
articles made of gold, for the beads and trinkets which 
the Spaniards showed them. Magellan wished to im- 
press the natives with his reserve power, so he ordered 
one of the cannon to be discharged, while the visitors 
were on board his vessel. This so frightened them that 
they ran to the gunwale in order to jump into the sea. 
The sailors interfered, and, assuring them of the friend- 
liness of the Admiral, soon had them quieted. 

Leaving this island behind them, the Spaniards now 
steered west and southwest, and, after a run of three 
days, anchored near a large body of land which was 
inhabited by a tribe of brown-skinned natives, who 
seemed to be well-disposed towards these strange for- 



198 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

eigners. Magellan presented the King with a red and 
yellow garment made long and flowing, and gave his 
principal courtiers knives and glass beads. 

The Spaniards were well received by these people, 
80 well received, in fact, that the King of the island of- 
fered to furnish them with pilots when they wished to 
sail away. This offer was accepted, and, steering west- 
ward, they soon reached another island, called Zubut, 
where they learned that a vessel manned by a Portu- 
guese crew, and having a cargo of gold and of slaves, 
had anchored opposite the capital only the day before 
Magellan's arrival, and had offered tribute to the King. 
Rendered bold by this deference, the native proceeded 
to exact tribute from Magellan, informing him that 
all who came to his dominions were obliged to pay it. 

" I cannot pursue the same course that these Portu- 
guese have done," answered Magellan. " For the King 
of Portugal is a far less powerful monarch than he whom 
I serve, for my Emperor has such power that his sub- 
jects pay tribute to no one. If, therefore, you persist in 
your claim, you may find yourself involved in a war 
with one who will crush you at the first conflict." 

These words made the bold native reflect, and, as a 
Moorish trader, who was present, informed him that 
what he told him was the truth, the monarch asked for a 
day in which to consider his answer to Magellan's 
refusal. In the meantime he entertained the sailors 
right royally. 

While deliberating how to gracefully withdraw from 
the arrogant position which he had assumed, the savage 
ruler was visited by the native monarch who had ac- 



FERDINAND MAGELLAN 199 

companied Magellan ou board his ship from the island 
which he had recently visited. This fellow spoke so 
well of the Admiral that his words had great weight 
with the proud islander. The demand for tribute was 
withdra-v^Ti, and the people of the island entered eagerly 
into traffic with the newcomers, who became mission- 
aries and preached the Christian faith with so much 
earnestness, that, within a very short time, the whole 
territory was converted to the religion of Jesus Christ. 
The native idols were destroyed and crosses were 
erected in many places. 

After a lengthy stay at this island, the Spaniards 
again went on board their ships, and, sailing away, 
reached the Philippine Islands, which were called 
Mathan by the natives. Here were two native rulers, 
Tual and Cilapulapu, whom Magellan summoned to 
pay tribute to the King of Spain. The first acceded 
to his demand, the second refused indignantly to do so. 

This roused the hot blood of the Castilian adven- 
turer, and he determined to enforce his claim with cold 
steel. He, therefore, chose sixty of his bravest men, 
armed them with coats of mail and steel helmets, and, 
taking to the boats, soon landed. They marched inland 
in order to chastise this independent ruler. 

Cilapulapu had hastily collected all of his fighting 
men, arranged them in three divisions, and awaited the 
oncoming Spaniards. His soldiers were many — there 
were two thousand in each division, or six thousand in 
all — armed with spears, lances, darts, javelins, and 
arrows dipped in poison. The Spaniards little knew 
what they were marching against, yet, like Custer at 



200 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

the Little Big Horn, they kept on moving. And, like 
Custer, there was soon to be an equally severe defeat. 

The mail-clad Castilians advanced boldly through the 
jungle to where the enemy was lying concealed, and 
there a shower of arrows beat down upon them, rattling 
like hail upon their steel coats. Many of the barbs 
were turned aside, but some penetrated the joints of the 
armor, and, entering the skin of the Spaniards, sent the 
deadly poison coursing through their veins. 

Magellan urged on his followers by voice and waving 
sword, but, as he led the advance, a sharp barb pene- 
trated a joint of his armor, and forced the deadly 
poison into his blood. The enemy now rushed in on 
every side, in overwhelming numbers, and showered 
their javelins upon the sixty brave soldiers of Castile. 
The wounded leader bravely endeavored to direct his 
men, in spite of his injury, but, as he shouted his battle- 
cry, a cane-lance struck him full in the face. The blow 
was fatal and he sank dead upon the ground. 

His soldiers were now almost surrounded. Eight of 
them were killed, the rest retreated (as best they 
might) to the beach, leaving the body of their dead 
leader in the hands of the exultant savages, who made 
the air hideous with their exultant battle-cries. 

So died the brave Portuguese navigator, on an island 
which was to belong to the Spanish Crown for many, 
many years. He had fallen as he had always wished to 
do, in the front of battle, and, although his followers 
endeavored to secure his body from the wild Fili- 
pinos, they were unable to do so. Their emissary to 
the barbarous Cilapulnjm was murdered by this wily 



FERDINAND MAGELLAN 201 

monarch, and, seeing that it was impossible to remain 
longer in this region, the navigators sailed away, bit- 
terly cursing their misfortune in losing such a brave 
and courageous leader. 

Keduced to forty-six in number, the survivors of this 
expedition of adventure and discovery continued their 
journey among the various islands of Polynesia until 
February, 1522, when they passed the extremity of 
Molucca, and, keeping outside of Sumatra, sailed due 
west toward the eastern coast of Africa. Twenty-one 
of the forty-six died of hunger before they reached the 
Cape Verde Islands, where, sending deputies ashore 
to represent their pitiable condition to the Portuguese 
authorities, they were allowed some rice, which was 
quickly disposed of. Thirteen of the sailors went on 
shore again to secure a further supply of provisions, 
but the Portuguese considered that they had done quite 
enough for them, so seized them and threw them into 
prison. The others, panic-stricken, hoisted sail, and, 
without endeavoring to release their companions, set out 
for their beloved Spain. 

On September the seventh, 1522, twelve miserable- 
looking Spanish sailors landed at the port of St. Lucar, 
near Seville. They were ragged, bare-foot, and gaunt 
from hunger. Proceeding to the Cathedral, they sank 
to their knees and thanked God for their preservation, 
for, out of the two hundred and thirty-seven who had 
sailed gayly away from Seville more than three years 
before, these were all that remained to toll the tale. 

And it was a pretty good tale they had to tell, for 



202 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

they had been the first white men to circumnavigate 
the globe. But the bones of their gallant leader lay 
among the wild and bloodthirsty natives of the Philip- 
pine Islands, with not even a stone to mark the last 
resting place of the brave and energetic Portugueee 
mariner. 



GIOVANNI YERRAZANO: 

FIRST NAVIGATOR TO EXPLORE THE 

COAST OF NEW JERSEY AND 

NEW YORK. 

(1480-1527) 



GIOVANNI VEKRAZANO: 

FIKST NAVIGATOR TO EXPLORE THE 

COAST OF NEW JERSEY AND 

NEW YORK. 

(1480-1527) 

IT was a calm, still day off the coast of Spain. A 
light, southerly breeze rippled the surface of the 
water, and, if you had been standing on the Cape 
St. Vincent, you would have seen the sails of six vessels 
which were headed for the shore. If you had been 
nearer, you would have seen that here were three Span- 
ish galleons of war and three treasure ships from far 
distant Hispaniola, on the Isthmus of Panama. They 
were loaded with gold, with silver, and with spices, 
which had been sent to the King of Spain by Hernando 
Cortes, conqueror of Montezuma and the Mexican 
people. 

But, ah ! what is this ! 

As the treasure ships and their convoys approached 

the shore, suddenly a fleet of six vessels could be seen 

boiling along under full canvas, and rushing to meet 

them. They were armed corsairs under Juan Florin, 

fitted out at New Rochelle, in France, and having on 

board a man who was to have some prominence in later 

years, as he was to bo the first European to view tlie 

205 



206 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

broad salt marshes of New Jersey. This was Giovanni 
Verrazano, a ITlorentine navigator, who, like all the 
mariners in those days, was a sea robber, a pirate, and 
an explorer. 

The Spanish ships were about thirty-five miles from 
the shore, and rollicked along right merrily, under a 
full spread of canvas. Their steermen thought, no 
doubt, that these were friendly vessels coming to greet 
them and to convoy them home. But in an hour they 
found out their mistake. The flag of France flew de- 
fiantly at the mast-heads of the oncoming galleons, and, 
as they drew near, cannon were trained upon the 
Spaniards and balls began to fly dangerously close. 
One of the treasure ships turned around and took flight, 
but the others had to fight it out. 

Now was a sharp little battle. Around and around 
went the boats, banging away at a good rate; but the 
French corsairs were accurate marksmen and were 
keen to win, for they longed for all that Mexican gold. 
At the end of two hours' time the French were along- 
side, had boarded, and the yellow flag of Spain came 
fluttering to the decks of the galleons from the coast 
of Mexico. The treasure of Cortes was to find a safe 
home on the shores of Merrie France. 

The King of Spain was deeply grieved to hear of this 
loss and thereupon ordered all homeward-bound vessels 
to rendezvous at Ilispaniola, in order to be safely con- 
voyed to Spain. He also offered one-half of the treas- 
ure captured to any Spaniard who would chase the 
French and get back that which had been stolen. Her- 
nando Cortes, too, was greatly disappointed when he 



GIOVANNI VERRAZANO 207 

heard of this loss, but he took measure to avoid such 
mishaps in the future. As for Verrazano: he reaped 
such a large share of this treasure, that he soon owned 
some vessels of his own. 

For several years this Florentine corsair, now sail- 
ing under the flag of France, made it a business to lie in 
wait for treasure ships coming from Mexico, and the 
West Indies, to the shores of Spain. He did well, cap- 
tured many a prize, and on one occasion took a Por- 
tuguese ship bringing from the Indies a freight valued 
at 180,000 ducats. He grew rich and prosperous, and, 
as he was of an adventurous disposition, determined to, 
himself, sail to the New World, and make an attempt to 
find that passage to Cathay, for which all European 
navigators were then searching. The Spaniards, at 
this time, had just about given up all hope of finding 
Asia connected with the continent of North America. 

In the year 1522, with four ships, Verrazano turned 
his face towards America and started across the At- 
lantic. But fierce storms beset his path ; he was driven 
back to the coast of Brittany, where his vessels, badly 
damaged by wind and waves, were refitted. After this 
he gathered a fleet of armed caravels, cruised southward 
into Spanish waters, took several prizes, and then re- 
turned. This was in the Spring of 1524. He then 
determined to sail for the land of America, in one ship, 
the Dauphine. He took fifty men, with ammunition, 
arms, and stores sufficient to last them for eight months, 
and turned the prow of the trim little vessel towards the 
west. 

Heading straight across the broad Atlantic, Ver- 



208 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

razano and his Frenchmen passed north of the Ber- 
muda Islands, and, drifting northward in the Gulf 
Stream, sighted land about the sixth day of March. 
Many fires were seen on the beach, made by the Indians, 
who flocked to the shore at this season to feast on shell 
fish and to manufacture wampum, or shell money. 
The explorers were off the coast of New Jersey, prob- 
ably near Cape May. 

Vcrrazano was much pleased to see that he had 
reached the shores of America and ordered a boat to 
land. As the sailors scrambled up on the sandy beach, 
a number of natives came down to the shore; but fled 
as the white men approached, sometimes stopping, and 
turning about, gazing with much curiosity at the white- 
skinned navigators. Being reassured by signs that 
they would not be injured, some of them came near, 
and, looking with wonder at the dress and complexions 
of the foreigners, offered them food. This was ac- 
cepted, and then the sailors returned to their vessel. 

The explorers sailed northward, again landed, and, 
going inland, found this to be a country full of very 
great forests. They marveled at the many trees and 
shrubs which stretched away in unbroken splendor. 
Verrazano was undoubtedly in the harbor of New 
York, at this time, and saw Shrewsbury River, the 
Kills, and the Narrows. He says : " The land has 
many lakes and ponds of fresh water, with numerous 
kinds of birds adapted to all the pleasures of the chase. 
The winds do not blow fiercely in these regions and 
those which prevail arc northwest and west." 

Leaving New York harbor, the explorers followed the 




(;i()\ AN M V l-.KKA/.ANO 



GIOVANNI VERRAZANO 209 

coast-line, and sailed along the shores of Long Island, 
where they saw many great fires made by the native 
inhabitants. Approaching the beach in order to get 
water, the Captain ordered the boat to land, with 
twenty-five men, but there was such high surf that it 
was impossible to do so. Many Indians came down to 
the sand, making friendly signs, and pointing to where 
the white men might gain a footing upon the sand. 

Rockaway Bay was a great resort of the Indians for 
the purpose of manufactui'ing wampum or seawan, the 
money of the native Americans. Numerous shell beds 
now line the shore where the manufacture was carried 
on. The navigators must have therefore landed on 
Rockaway Beach, where the shore-line meets the nar- 
row and barren outer-bar, which for over seventy miles 
separates the ocean from the bay, or lagoons, behind it. 

Still coasting along the shore, Verrazano went ashore 
again near Quogue or Bridgehampton, where he 
found the place fuU of forests of various kinds of 
woods, but not as odoriferous as those on the Jersey 
shore; the country being more northerly and colder. 
Here the Indians again fled into the thickets, as the 
white men approached, but the Frenchmen saw many 
of their boats, made of a single log twenty feet long and 
four feet wide, hollowed out with sharp knives and 
axes. 

After remaining here three days, the navigators de- 
parted, running along the coast in a northerly direction, 
sailing by day and dropping anchor at night. At the 
end of a journey of a hundred miles they found a very 
pleasant place, indeed, where a large river, deep at its 



210 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

mouth, ran into the sea between high cliffs upon either 
side. The explorers proceeded up the curving stream 
in a boat and soon found themselves surrounded by the 
redskins in canoes, these natives being dressed with bird 
feathers of gay colors. They came towards the French- 
men, joyfully, and emitted great shouts of admiration. 

The sailors ascended the river for about half a mile, 
" where," says Verrazano, " we saw a fine lake about 
three miles in circumference through which were pass- 
ing many canoes of the red men." But a violent wind 
sprang up, so that the explorers had to return to their 
ships, " leaving the land," continues Verrazano, " with 
much regret, as the hills there showed minerals." The 
navigators had entered the river Thames, the vessel 
being anchored well within Fisher's Island, where 
many a steam-yacht would afterwards cast its anchor, 
while the sailors would watch the rival crews of Yale 
and Harvard, as they battled for supremacy on the 
waters of the shimmering stream. 

But the navigators would not remain to make friends 
with the Indians, and, weighing anchor, sailed east- 
ward, where they saw an island, triangular in form, 
distant about ten miles from the mainland, full of hills 
and covered with trees. Judging from the fires which 
they viewed along the shore, the Frenchmen considered 
it to be thickly inhabited. This was Block Island, but 
the sunburned explorers called it Louisa Island, after 
the mother of King Francis the First, of far distant 
France. 

Fourteen miles from Block Island is I^arragansett 
Bay, and hither the Dauplune was headed, anchoring 



GIOVANNI VERRAZANO 211 

first at its mouth, then between Goat Island and the 
present town of Newport. Immediately the vessel was 
surrounded by canoes, filled with wondering savages, 
who at first did not venture to approach the ships, but, 
stopping about fifty paces away, gazed in silent ad- 
miration at the strange object which had risen, as if by 
magic, before them. Then, all of a sudden, they broke 
into a loud shout of joy. 

The Frenchmen crowded to the rail, reassuring the 
natives and imitating their gestures. The Indians 
therefore, came nearer, and, as they approached, the 
navigators threw them bells, mirrors, and other trinkets, 
which they picked up, laughing, and then paddled up 
to the sides of the gi'eat hulk. Catching hold of the 
gunwales with their hands, they crawled up on the 
deck, saying : " Ugh ! Ugh ! " 

Among the visitors were two kings, one of whom 
seemed to be about forty, the other twenty-four years 
of age. The elder was arrayed in a robe of deer skins, 
skillfully wrought w^ith rich embroidery; his head was 
bare and his hair was carefully tied behind him; his 
neck was adorned by a large chain, set off with various 
colored stones. The dress of the younger monarch was 
nearly like that of his elder companion. 

The followers of these kings crowded around them, 
" and," says Verrazano, " they were the most beautiful 
and genteel-mannered people I had met in all the voy- 
age." Their complexions were remarkably clear ; their 
features regular, their hair long, and dressed with no 
ordinary degree of care; their eyes black and lively. 
Their whole aspect was pleasing, and their profiles re- 



212 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

minded the Frenchmen of the busts of the ancients. 
The wives and daughters of the native Narragansetts 
were not allowed to come on board, and had to wait for 
their husbands in the canoes. These, too, were richly 
dressed in deer and beaver skins. The early inhab- 
itants of Newport, it seems, were as gaudily arrayed as 
were their white-skinned descendants to be many cen- 
turies later. 

The Frenchmen lingered here for more than two 
weeks, while Verrazano made numerous trips into the 
many estuaries of Narragansett Bay, finding a pleasant 
country with all kinds of cultivation going on. Corn 
was being grown ; wine and oil were being manufac- 
tured by the native inhabitants. The corsair was par- 
ticularly struck with the total ignorance shown by the 
natives of the value of gold, and the preference which 
they gave for beads and for toys, over more costly 
objects. So, in trade, he was able to get many valuable 
furs and skins for a few, shining, glass beads. 

But, in spite of the charms of the scenery and the 
pleasant reception given him by the friendly Narragan- 
sett Indians, the Frenchmen decided to continue their 
journey northward. So, leaving Newport behind them, 
the Dauphine was steered along the coast. The vessel 
passed around south of Martha's Vineyard and Nan- 
tucket, and, steering well clear of Cape Cod, lazed 
along the rocky shore of Massachusetts near Cape Ann. 

Occasionally the explorers lauded in their boat, find- 
ing dense woods of pines and hemlocks. The natives 
seemed to be quite different, also, from those farther 
south, for, while the southerners had been gentle in their 



GIOVANNI VERRAZANO 213 

behavior, these were more barbarous and rough. They 
were dressed in the skins of bears, wolves, and foxes, 
and, although the Frenchmen endeavored to hold con- 
versation with them, this was found to be impossible, 
as they would run into the forest whenever the white 
men approached. 

Finally, somewhere between Cape Ann .and Nahant 
— probably where the Myopia Hunt Club now rests in 
peaceful seclusion — twenty-five of the explorers went 
inland for two or three miles, seeing many natives, who 
would not be friendly, and, when they returned to the 
shore, the primitive sons of Massachusetts shot at the 
interlopers with their bows and arrows, shouting loudly 
as they did so. Many of the redskins had copper 
rings in their ears. The forests were very dense here- 
abouts, and the savages hid themselves whenever the 
white men turned to fight. 

Not pleased with their reception, the navigators 
coasted northward, passed the rocky promontory of 
Cape Ann, the wind-ripped Isles of Shoals, and finally 
reached Portland Harbor. They were charmed with 
the magnificent scenery, and, coasting along the hem- 
lock-clad shores, passed thirty-two islands, all lying 
near the rocky beach, which impressed the voyagers 
greatly with their beauty. But alas! provisions now 
began to fail, and it was time to hark back to France. 

All the crew were well and happy, for they had had 
a wonderful trip along the coast-line of America, then 
unspoiled by the erection of houses, towns, and vil- 
lages. 

On board was an Indian boy, whom they had kid- 



214 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

napcd, and be, too, seemed to be well and contented. 
Wbcn oif tbe Jersey coast, Verrazano bad landed and 
bad journeyed about two miles into tbe interior, witb 
about twenty of tbe crew. Tbe natives bad fled to tbe 
forest ; but two, — a young girl and an old woman, less 
fortunate tban tbe rest, — bad been overtaken by tbe 
Europeans. Tbe Frenebmen seized tbe girl, and also 
a boy of about eigbt years of age, wbo bad been banging 
on tbe back of tbe old woman. Tben, tbcy began to 
retrace tbeir steps to tbe sea. 

As tbey proceeded, tbe girl made a vigorous resist- 
ance, and set up violent cries of rage and terror. Sbe 
clawed witb bcr nails, stnick witb ber bands, and strug- 
gled to free berself. At last, wearied witb tbe attempt 
to transport tbis virago, tbe Frenebmen let ber go, 
keeping tbe boy as a less troublesome, tbougb less valued 
prize. Tbe girl bounded away into tbe forest like a 
deer, and was soon lost in tbe sbadows of tbe trees. 

Tbe Dauphine was now somewbere near tbe moutb 
of tbe beautiful Penobscot River, in Maine. It was 
tbe end of June and tbe breatb from tbe bemlock forests 
along tbe sbore was filled witb tbe scent of tbe balsam 
bougb. Verrazano would bave lingered longer in tbis 
lovely country, but tbe object of tbe voyage bad now 
been accomplisbed ; over seven bundred leagues of tbe 
new world bad been explored, and tbe Frencb corsair 
bad beld sufficient communication witb tbe native red- 
skins to form some idea of tbeir state and cbaracter. 

Tbe bow of tbe Dauphine was tberefore turned to 
wards France; sbe made a safe passage, propelled by 
favorable winds, and, in tbe montb of July, 1524, about 



GIOVANNI VERRAZANO 215 

five and a half months after her departure, Verrazano, 
the corsair, landed at Dieppe. The Indian boy was 
well, and he was taken ashore; but what happened to 
him afterwards is not known. 

The adventurous explorer now wrote a letter to the 
King of France telling of the land which he had dis- 
covered and of the Indians and wild beasts which he 
had seen. To Francis the First, the French Monarch, 
he offered a vast province in the temperate latitude, on 
which France might well have expended her enterprise, 
and which w^ould have repaid her efforts a thousand 
fold. But, alas ! France was then in dreadful straits, 
for she was near annihilation from her recent strug- 
gles with Germany. The King was a prisoner in the 
hands of the Emperor ; his army had been dispersed ; 
his treasury was exhausted. 

Thus the vast and fruitful land of America was left 
to the English and the Dutch to explore, to colonize, 
and to subdue. Could the rough, old corsair have seen 
in dreams the beach of Atlantic City, four centuries 
later, with its board walk, its towering hotels, its thou- 
sands of bathers, and its wheeled chairs, he would have, 
indeed, been surprised, for the old fellow was the first 
European who had seen the surf on the shelving sands 
of New Jersey. 



FRANCISCO PIZARRO: 

CONQUEROR OF PERU. 
(1475-1538) 



An eagle soared o'er the heights of Quito, 

Its talons were hard, and it screamed as it flew; 

For, far down below, in gleamiing chain mail. 

Was a Spanish corsair with his murderous crew. 

The Spaniard looked upward. " Ah, brother" said he, 

" Are there doves here below? If it's so, I am here 

To plunder such weaklings, despoil them of home. 

To pillage and bum without shedding a tear." 

The eagle said, " Yes; you, I see, are my mate. 

For I am a harpy; bring ruin in my path. 

Let's form an alliance, and hill all we can, 

^Yhat matter to us if we stir up fierce ivrath ! " 

So the Spaniard and eagle swept o'er poor Peru; 

Each sought out the doves, e'en at the church portal. 

'Midst fire and pillage, 'midst carnage and death. 

Both carved a career, — the Spaniard's immortal. 



FRANCISCO PIZAERO: 

CONQUEROR OF PERU. 
(1475-1538) 

THERE was a Spaniard once, who lived in 
Panama and who had the high sounding name 
of Vasco Nunez de Balboa. 

Like all of the adventurers in the early days, he was 
ever on the lookout for gold. Do you wonder, there- 
fore, that his brown eyes glittered and gleamed when 
an Indian chief came to him and said : 

" If this yellow gold is what you prize so greatly that 
you are willing to leave your home and risk even life 
itself, for it, then I can tell you of a land where they 
eat and drink out of golden vessels, and gold is as com- 
mon with the natives as iron is with you." 

It is unnecessary to add that the keen Balboa eagerly 
inquired where this place was to be found. And the 
Indian, sweeping his hand toward the South, said: 
" It is there, — Peru, the land of the Incas ! " 

The Spaniard did not forget what the native had 
said, and he told it to some of his friends, among 
whom was a young adventurer by the name of Francisco 
Pizarro, who had been sent to Panama to traffic with 
the natives for pearls. This fellow, who was a distant 
kinsman of Horiiando Cortes, conqueror of Mexico, was 
a true adventurer; but he was the least educated of all 

219 



220 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

the Spaniards who have made names for themselves in 
the New World, llo had, indeed, been employed as a 
swine-herd near the city of Truxillo, in Spain, where 
he had been born. He could neither read nor write 
with any fluency. From childhood he had been neg- 
lected and had been left to make a living as best he 
might. 

We know that he sailed away from Seville, in Spain, 
when quite a young man, and that he embarked, witli 
other adventurers, to find his fortune in the New 
World. We hear of him in Hispaniola, and, later on, 
know that he was employed by Balboa in several enter- 
prises. He seems to have been ever on the lookout for 
adventure and anxious to mend his fortunes, which were 
so low, indeed, that, when he heard of this land of gold, 
he had not the means to fit out a ship in order to sail 
thither and find out whether or not what the native had 
said was true. Still, the matter rankled in his mind, 
so that he, at length, found a way to go where was 
wealth, fame, and fortune. 

There were two people in eastern Panama who knew 
young Pizarro, and who decided that, perhaps, there 
was some truth in what the Indian had said about the 
land of the Incas. 

" I wish to go there," said the Spaniard. " If you 
will assist and aid me, we may be all wealthy together." 

" That sounds well," answered Hernando de Luque, 
one of these friends, " and I believe that I will give 
you the necessary funds, so that you may fit out a 
ship." 

The other friend, named Diego Almagro, was also a 



FRANCISCO PIZARRO 221 

badly educated individual, but be was one wbo eagerly 
listened to tales of adventure. A compact was tbus 
made between tbese tbree, most of tbe money being sup- 
plied by De Luque, Almagro undertaking tbe equip- 
ment of tbe sbip, and Pizarro taking command of tbe 
expedition. It was difficult to get men to join in such 
a venture, but eventually about a bundred were ob- 
tained, mostly idlers in tbe colony wbo eagerly grasped 
at anything that would mend their broken fortunes. 
They were a rough lot. 

Everything was finally ready for the journey to that 
fabled land of Peru, so Pizarro set sail with his follow- 
ing of ne'er-do-wells in a large ship, some time during 
the month of November, 1524. Almagro followed in a 
second vessel, with tbe rest of the Panama ruffians, and 
tbus began a movement which was to bring a rich and 
populous region beneath the banner of Castile. 

Pizarro and bis friends embarked at a most unfavor- 
able time of tbe year, for it was the rainy season, and 
the coast was swept by violent tempests. They had no 
knowledge of this fact and consequently kept on until 
they reached the Puerto de Piiias, or Port of Pines, a 
headland upon the other side of which was a little 
river. Tbe sbip was brought to anchor and tbe crew 
landed in order to explore tbe country, but the Spanish 
adventurers found only thick, impenetrable forests, and 
deep swamplands which were filled with quagmire and 
with fever. So they returned to tbe ship, exhausted ; 
hoisted sail, and proceeded again upon their voyage to 
tbe southland. Tbey met with a succession of fearful 
stonns wliicb bnlTL'ted their vessel so severely that she 



222 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

began to leak. Their stock of food and water became 
nearly spent, and the members of the expedition had to 
subsist upon two ears of Indian corn a day. In this 
dreadful condition they were only too glad to turn back, 
and anchor, again, a few leagues from the place where 
they had first hauled down their sails. 

The Spaniards were now in a desperate state of mind, 
for the food supply was about gone, and, upon the 
shore, all that they could discover were a few imwhole- 
some berries. So the ship was sent back to Panama in 
order to lay in a fresh stock of provisions, while 
Pizarro, himself, with about half of his company, made 
a further attempt to explore the country. The climate 
was hot and enei-vating, so that more than twenty men 
died of fever, but the energetic Pizarro kept on, and at 
last succeeded in reaching a clearing where stood a 
small Indian village. 

To the half-starved Spaniards this was a godsend, 
indeed, and, rushing forward, they broke into the rude 
huts and seized what food was there to be found ; which 
they devoured ravenously. The natives dispersed into 
the woods, but, seeing that the white-skins offered them 
no violence, they came back and, by means of signs, 
began to converse with these haggard adventurers. 
There was a rich country lying far to the south, said 
they, where the people had much gold. They, them- 
selves, wore large ornaments of the shining metal, and 
this the Spaniards eagerly gazed upon, for it was sub- 
stantial evidence that the precious material could be 
found at no far distant place. 

Cheered, but miserable, the adventurers camped 



FRANCISCO PIZARRO 223 

here for six weary weeks, when the ship returned with 
provisions. Those on board were horrilied at the gaunt 
and haggard faces of their comrades, who looked like 
wild men, and who fell upon the provisions as if they 
had never before seen food. They soon revived, and, 
embarking once more, sailed southward along the coast, 
and away from that dismal and cheerless spot, which 
they named the Port of Famine. 

The vessel crept along near the shore, and the Span- 
iards again landed, when they saw an Indian village 
among the trees. The inhabitants fled into the forest 
as the white-skinned men approached, leaving behind 
them a goodly store of corn and other food, and also a 
number of gold ornaments of considerable value. The 
adventurers found that these were a race of cannibals, 
for human flesh was roasting before a fire near one of 
the huts. So they hastened back to their ship, with no 
cheerful feelings, and again set sail, touching here and 
there upon the shore, where they found bold and 
warlike natives, who showed no disposition to be 
friendly. 

Almagro, meanwhile, had succeeded in equipping a 
small caravel, and had followed in Pizarro's wake with 
about seventy men. At different places he touched the 
shore, even as Pizarro had done, and had several severe 
fights with the natives, in one of which he was struck 
in the forehead by a javelin, which deprived him of the 
sight of one eye. Nothing daunted by this mishap, he 
kept on down the coast, collected considerable gold, and 
finally gained tidings of his friend Pizarro, whom he 
came upon at a seaport called Chicama. The two 



224 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

adventurous commanders embraced with much fervor, 
and each told the other of his many exciting encounters 
with the natives. They both were sure that they had 
not yet gone far enough to the southward, and, after a 
long consultation, Pizarro decided to join with Alma- 
gro, and return to Panama for more men, more arms, 
and better supplies. 

Alas! when the adventurous sea rovers reached 
Panama, the Governor lent an unwilling ear to all of 
their schemes. 

" You have wasted men and money enough already," 
said he. " Away with you ! " 

But here the friendly De Luque interposed, and, by 
the payment of a large sum, was able to buy olf this 
official interference with future explorations. A con- 
tract was now dravsm up and signed between De Luque, 
Pizarro and Almagro, whereby the two latter agreed to 
pursue the undertaking until the treasures of Peru were 
discovered, and were to divide all the lands, gold, jewels, 
or treasures equally between the three, in consideration 
for further sums which De Luque was to furnish for 
more ships and provisions. Should the expedition fail 
utterly, De Luque was to be repaid with every bit of 
property which the two sea-captains might possess. 
Two large and strong vessels were now engaged, and, 
procuring a few horses and one hundred and sixty men, 
the second expedition was started for the fabled land 
of promise. 

There was to be no easy or garland-stre\vn road to 
success. One of their ships, under an experienced 
pilot called Ruiz, sailed on ahead, leaving Pizarro with 



FRANCISCO PIZARRO 225 

a nmnber of bis men at a place on the sea-coast, which 
seemed to be healthful, and in an excellent position for 
defense. A good deal of treasure had been gathered as 
the adventurers coasted along, and this was sent back to 
Panama, under the care of Almagro, who was instructed 
to bring rceuforcements. Bj the exhibition of the 
gold, which had been discovered, it was hoped to tempt 
other Spaniards to this hazardous adventure. 

Euiz had a successful voyage. He sailed across the 
equinoctial line and entered a great bay, called the Bay 
of St. Matthew, where he found the natives hospitable, 
and somewhat afraid of these white-skinned strangers, 
in their curious house, which floated upon the blue 
water. The people wore robes of a woolen cloth of fine 
texture, dyed in brilliant colors, and embroidered with 
figures of birds and of flowers. They had a pair of 
balances for weighing gold and silver, a utensil never 
seen before among the natives of South America, and 
told him that they possessed large flocks of llamas, or 
Peruvian sheep, from which their wool was obtained, 
and also, that, in the palaces of their rulers, gold and 
silver was as common as wood. Ruiz took several of 
the most intelligent natives on board, in order to teach 
them Spanish, so that they could act as interpreters, 
and then sailed back to the place where he had left 
Pizarro and his men. 

He arrived in the very nick of time, because the 
Spaniards had met with nothing but disaster. They 
had journeyed into the interior, hoping to find treasure 
and populous cities, only to become lost in dense forests 
of gigantic tropical vegetation. Many were waylaid 



226 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

and killed by lurking natives ; some died of fever ; and 
all suffered great privation and distress. Hideous 
snakes and alligators infested the many swamps which 
they came across; so, discouraged and depressed, they 
had retreated to the sea-coast, only to be so tormented 
by swarms of mosquitoes, that they had to bury them- 
selves in the sand, in order to rid themselves of the pests. 
Harried by fear of starvation, and worn out by suffer- 
ing, they wished to go no farther; but to sail imme- 
diately for Panama. Luckily, at this juncture, Al- 
magro retui-ned with a goodly supply of provisions, and 
with eighty new adventurers, whose enthusiasm speed- 
ily revived the drooping spirits of Pizarro's men. 

Sailing southward, under the pilotage of Kuiz, they 
again reached the Bay of St. Matthew, and cast anchor 
opposite the Peruvian to^vn of Tacamez, which was 
swarming with natives who wore many ornaments of 
gold and of silver. Nearby flowed a river, called the 
River of Emeralds, because of the quantities of the gems 
which were dug from its banks, and, when the Span- 
iards heard of the vast stores of these gems which the 
natives had gathered, they were eager to come into 
possession of them. 

With this thought in view, they landed, but were 
immediately surrounded by nearly ten thousand natives, 
who were well-armed, and seemed to be hostile. The 
adventurers were helpless ; but, just as they expected to 
be assaulted, one of their number was thro^vn from his 
horse, and this caused a gi*eat commotion among the 
Peruvians. 

" See," they cried, " what was all in one part has 



FRANCISCO PIZARRO 227 

divided, so that it is now two portions. Make way for 
the sorcerers ! " 

A lane was immediately opened for the Castilians, 
and down this, with thankful hearts, they retreated to 
their boats. 

Shortly after this, Almagro returned in one of the 
ships to Panama, for it was plain that they could never 
gain any treasure from these natives by force, unless 
they had a greater number of soldiers. Pizarro chose 
a small island as his headquarters until the return of 
his comrade; but this decision caused great discontent 
among his men, and many of them wrote to friends in 
Panama bewailing their condition, and begging them to 
use their influence with the Governor to send speedy 
relief. As Almagro did his best to seize all letters 
directed to Panama, one of these was hidden in a ball 
of cotton, and sent as a present to the wife of the Gov- 
ernor. It was signed by several soldiers, who begged 
that a ship be sent to rescue them from the dismal isle 
before they should all die of starvation and exposure. 
This epistle reached its proper destination, and, when 
the Governor viewed the haggard faces of Almagro's 
men, he determined, in his own mind, that the few ill- 
fated survivors of the expedition were being detained 
by Pizarro, against their will, and upon a desolate 
island. He was also angered by the number of lives 
which had already been lost, and the money which had 
been spent upon the unsuccessful expedition to the land 
of the Peruvians. Consequently he refused to help 
Almagro further, and, instead of this, sent off two 
ships to bring back every Spanish adventurer who was 



228 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

then with Pizarro. The vessels were commanded by a 
certain Captain Tafiir. 

The followers of Pizarro were overjoyed to see two 
well-provisioned ships come to their assistance, and 
were quite ready to return to Panama; but Pizarro re- 
ceived letters from both Almagro and the priest, De 
Luque, begging him to hold fast to his purpose. They 
furthermore advised him that they would come to his 
assistance in a very short time. 

Now occurred a famous incident in the career of this 
noted explorer, an incident as famous as the passage 
of the Rubicon by Julius CsBsar, and of the Alps by the 
redoubtable Xapoleon Bonaparte. Pizarro, indeed, 
was determined to press on, for he had in him an adven- 
turous soul and the wealth which he had seen at the 
Bay of St. Matthew had fired his zeal and cupidity. 

" Comrades," said he to his men, " I understand that 
many of you would put back from this hazardous enter- 
prise. As for me, I intend to go onward." 

Then, seizing his sword, he drew a line upon the 
sand from east to west, for all were collected upon the 
beach. 

" On this side," he continued, pointing to the south, 
" are toil, hunger, the drenching storm, desertion, and 
death ; on that side, ease and pleasure. Here lies Peru 
with its riches; there is Panama and its poverty! 
Choose each man what best becomes a brave Castilian ! 
For my part I go to the south ! " 

So saying, he stepped across the line and was quickly 
followed by Euiz, Pedro de Candia, and eleven other 
adventurous souls. The remainder made no movement, 



FRANCISCO PIZiVERO 229 

so Tafur sailed away with tliem, next day, leaving a 
goodly portion of his provisions to help out those who 
determined to cast their fortunes with the danger-loving 
Pizarro. 

JS'ow, constructing a raft, the adventurous Castilian 
transported his men to an island which lay farther 
north. There were pheasants and rabbits here, and 
also swarms of gnats, flies and mosquitoes. The rain 
fell incessantly, and, although the Spaniards built rude 
huts in order to keep out the water, they had hard work 
to be comfortable. For seven months they thus lived, 
until Almagro arrived from Panama, with only just 
enough men on board to work the vessel, and with com- 
mands from the Governor for Pizarro to report imme- 
diately at the Isthmus. 

In spite of this mandate, the adventurous Spaniards 
headed the vessel for the southern coast, soon came in 
view of a great gulf, the Gulf of Guayaquil, and saw, 
far above them, the snowy crests of the towering moun- 
tains : the Cordilleras. Between these and the sea-coast, 
lay a narrow strip of land, which was highly cultivated 
by the natives. Some of these Pizarro persuaded to 
accompany him, and he left one of his own company, 
who was fair of complexion and wore a long beard, to 
learn the language of the Indians, so that he could act 
as an interpreter upon his return. He also took sev- 
eral of the native sheep, or llamas — " the little camels " 
— to exhibit to those who would doubt his story at 
Panama, or in Spain, for he had decided if necessary to 
seek assistance from the King. 

The natives received these fair-skinned navigators 



230 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

with kindness and much curiosity, for the armor, guns, 
and horses of these so-called " Children of the Sun " 
greatly interested the gentle Peruvians. Several of the 
Spaniards penetrated into the interior, and came back 
with wondrous tales of temples filled with gold and 
silver ornaments. So Pizarro was determined, upon 
his return to Panama, to gather a force sufficient to 
conquer the entire country, for his desire for wealth and 
the power which this brings, was quite similar to that 
of those who penetrate the arid wastes of Nevada, at 
the present day, or search for the precious metal amidst 
the hemlock-forests of Alaska. 

Now, satisfied that a rich and populous kingdom lay 
before him, Pizarro turned about and sailed northward, 
and, after an absence of a year and a half, once more 
talked with the irate Governor of Panama. As he was 
supposed to have perished with all his men, the repre- 
sentative of the Spanish King was quite considerate in 
his treatment of him; but, when Pizarro asked for 
further assistance in his scheme for the conquest of 
Peru, the Governor seemed to have other use for his 
money and his soldiers. 

" What do I care ? " cried the adventurer, in some 
heat. " I can visit the King of Spain and he will 
help me, I know. I am determined to succeed." 

This man, you see, had the power of will. Although 
he had suffered hardship, mental anguish, famine; he 
was certain that he could become master of the gentle 
Peruvians, and so was determined to crush any obstacles 
which came in his path and obstructed this ambition. 
So far, his conduct had been noble, his treatment of his 



FRANCISCO PIZARRO 231 

friends and companions had been just, his own cheer- 
fulness and self control had been commendable. Let 
us sec how he conducted himself, when he had secured 
that for which he sought ? 

Taking passage for Spain, he appeared at the Spanish 
Court with two or three llamas, several natives, and 
specimens of the woolen cloth and gold and silver orna- 
ments of the Peruvians, to bear witness to his tales of 
this wonderful country. The King lent a ready ear to 
his request for assistance; he was empowered to con- 
quer and take possession of Peru in the name of Spain ; 
and was requested to transport many priests along with 
him, in order to convert the Indians to the Roman 
Catholic religion. The ignorant swine-herd, in fact, 
had become a man of some merit and mark, which so 
greatly pleased his four half-brothers — who possessed 
the high-sounding names of Hernando, Gonzalo, Juan, 
and Prancisco de Alcantara — that they all desired to 
follow him to this land of the llama and the snow- 
capped mountains. 

" Hurray for brother Francisco," said they. " He 
will make us all rich ! Hurray and God be with 
him!" 

Finally, two hundred and fifty men were gathered 
for the conquest of Peru. The Pizarros set sail for 
Panama — it was a family party now — and soon all 
were again upon the shores of the New World. Three 
ships were speedily loaded with equipment and pro- 
visions, and, with one hundred and eighty followers 
and twenty-seven horses, the Spanish free-booters and 
adventurers sailed for the Bay of St. Matthew. They 



232 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

landed, and immediately started operations in the usual 
high-handed and brutal manner of the Spanish con- 
queror. 

The little band of cut-throats went ashore and ad- 
vanced along the coast, while the three ships drifted 
along in a parallel line, keeping as close inshore as dis- 
cretion would permit. Wlien the Castilians reached a 
town of some importance, they would rush in upon the 
inhabitants, sword in hand, and would cut down all 
who opposed them. The poor, frightened natives 
would run away tumultuously, while the Pizarro 
brothers, and other Castilian robbers, would collect all 
the gold and silver ornaments that they could find. 
Many emeralds were also secured, which were sent to 
the ships, and back to Panama, in order to impress those 
who were left behind with the fact that the army was 
really accomplishing something. It was also done for 
the effect that it would produce upon the irate and unac- 
commodating Governor. 

The Spaniards suffered greatly from the heat, for the 
sun beat upon their iron breast-plates and quilted cot- 
ton doublets with most uncomfortable fury. In spite 
of this, they kept on, and, as they advanced, the natives 
fled before them. 

They spent the rainy season upon an island; but. 
when the weather grew clear again, being reenforced by 
a hundred volunteers from Panama and more horses, 
they again crossed to the mainland and resumed their 
former operations. 

They advanced to the town of Tumbez, expecting to 
find a rich and populous city; but, greatly to their sur- 



FRANCISCO PIZARRO 233 

prise, they saw that this Peruvian stronghold had been 
burned and abandoned, owing to a recent disagreement 
between the inhabitants and the followers of the Inca. 
This ruler, Atahuallpa Capac, had fallen out with his 
brother, Huascar, and had advanced into his country 
in order to humiliate him and to become master of all 
Peru. Pizarro immediately made up his mind to 
march and capture the Inca Atahuallpa, himself, and 
to seize all of Peru for the Crown of Spain. 

Some years before, ths country had been conquered 
by a native soldier and statesman, named Huayna 
Capac, who left three sons : Huascar, the heir, and son 
of the Queen; Manco Capac, a half-brother; and Ata- 
huallpa, a son of the Princess Quito. At the death of 
Huayna Capac, the kingdom was divided into two parts ; 
Huascar succeeding to the empire of Peru, Atahuallpa 
to the empire of Quito. The latter was of a warlike 
disposition ; the former was gentle and retiring. They 
thus did not long remain at peace with one another, for, 
Atahuallpa coveted the land of his brother, advanced 
to take it, and, after a great battle, in which he was 
victorious, overran, with his adherents, all the terri- 
tory of his rival. This had all happened only a short 
time before Pizarro had landed, and the ruins of 
Tumbez bore full witness to the ruthlessness of the 
Inca's wrath. 

The conqueror, it was said, was but twelve days' jour- 
ney inland, so the Castilians struck boldly into the 
country, where they were everywhere received with 
hospitality by the natives. The invaders were now 
careful to give no offense, for they were very few and 



234 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

were surrounded by many thousands, who could quickly 
annihilate them, should they so wish. 

An Indian gave Pizarro a scroll, as they advanced, 
upon which had been written: "Know, whoever you 
may be, that may chance to set foot in this country, 
that it contains more silver and gold than there is iron 
in Biscay." This was shown to the soldiers, but they 
laughed good-humoredly at it, believing that it was only 
a device of their leader to give them confidence and 
hope. 

Pizarro halted his men, after five days of marching, 
and told them that the expedition was to be a hazardous 
one and that those who wished to retire could do so. 
Nine of the soldiers availed themselves of this oppor- 
tunity to turn away from what lay in front, and, thus 
rid of what would undoubtedly be a dangerous element, 
the daring explorer pressed onward. He reached the 
foot of the great mountains which tower above the 
plains of Peru, and, sending forward a cavalier to speak 
with Atahuallpa, received word from this native ruler 
that he would be delighted to entertain the Spaniards 
at his camp in the mountains. 

The little army now toiled up the steep slopes of the 
Cordilleras and came to many fortresses of stone which 
overhung their path, and where a mere handful of men, 
with little difficulty, could have barred their way. All 
was quiet and deserted, for luck was with this adven- 
turer, and finally his band of treasure-seekers reached 
the summit of the mountains. An Indian messenger 
appeared from the Inca, who requested that he be in- 
formed when the Spaniards would reach Caxamalca, 



FRANCISCO PIZiVRRO 235 

where they were to be entertained by the proud and 
imperious Atahuallpa. The messenger spoke glow- 
ingly of the might of his master; but Pizarro assured 
him that the King of Spain was the mightiest 
monarch under the sun, and that his servants would 
convince the Inca that they bore nothing but mes- 
sages of good will from their master in far distant 
Castile. 

The Spaniards marched onward for two days, then 
began to descend the eastern side of the Cordilleras, 
where they met a second envoy from the Inca. Seven 
days later the valley of Caxamalca lay before them, and, 
to the startled eyes of these adventurers, came the 
vision of several miles of white tents: those of the 
Inca's followers. Pizarro put on a bold front, marched 
towards the encampment, and, sending forward a cava- 
lier with thirty-five horsemen to the Inca's pavilion, en- 
tered the outskirts of the town of Caxamalca. The 
Peruvian nobility was in the court-yard, so, tramping 
onward, the Spanish adventurers passed through a long 
line of nobles to where Atahuallpa himself sat upon a 
low stool, distinguished by a crimson ribbon bound 
around his forehead, which he had placed there after 
the defeat of his brother, Iluascar. 

Pizarro rode up to the monarch of the Peruvian 
wilds, and, bowing in a lowly and respectful manner, 
informed him that he was the subject of the mighty 
Prince across the ocean, and that, attracted by the 
report of the warlike prowess of the Inca, he had come 
to offer him his servicos and those of his men, and to 
impart to him the doctrines of true faith, which they 



236 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

professed. He also invited Atahuallpa to visit liiiii in 
his owu encampmeut. 

The Inca seemed to be dazed, and listened with his 
eyes fixed upon the ground. One of his nobles then 
said: " It is welh" 

" Can you not speak for yourself," asked Tizarro, 
turning to the Inca, " and tell me what is your desire < " 

At this the proud native smiled faintly, and replied, 
through an interpreter: 

" I am keeping a fast which will end to-morrow morn- 
ing. I will then visit you. In the meantime, pray 
occupy the public buildings on the square and no other, 
until I order what shall be done." 

Pizarro bowed. At that moment one of his sol- 
diers, who was mounted upon a fiery steed, touched it 
with his spurs and galloped away. Whirling around, 
he dashed back through the crowd of natives and drew 
rein before the immobile Atahuallpa, who never, for 
an instant, lost his composure. Several of his soldiers, 
however, shrank back in manifest terror as this strange 
creature passed by, for such a wonderful animal had 
never been seen before in this country. The Spaniards 
now left, and, after they had departed, all of those who 
had shown fear of the galloping horse in the presence of 
the strangers, were put to death by order of the Inca. 

That night Pizarro perfected his plan for the capture 
of Atahuallpa. He saw that, should he give battle to 
the Inca in the open field, it would doubtless end in 
disastrous defeat for the Spaniards, as the natives far 
out-numbered this handful of Castilians. His only 
chance for victory seemed to be to capture the Inca, to 



FEANCISCO PIZARRO 237 

bold liim prisoner, and to intimidate the vast horde of 
natives, by threat of death to their ruler, if they at- 
tacked the Spanish invaders. He therefore determined 
to entice the native to the building in which he and his 
men were lodged, which was built upon a square court- 
yard. His soldiers were to remain hidden around the 
central court, and, when Atahuallpa and his retainers 
should be in the very middle of the square, the Span- 
iards were to rush in upon him, and, putting the Peru- 
vians to the sword, were to seize the unfortunate native 
ruler and hold him fast. This was the bold conception 
of this heartless adventurer, a veritable dare-devil, 
whose conscience was free from the lofty and proper 
conceptions of brotherly love. 

The night was a quiet one. The Spaniards made a 
careful inspection of their arms and equipment, loaded 
all their guns, and stationed themselves at the places 
designated by their artful leader. At dawn they were 
ready, but it was late in the day before the Inca 
approached. He was preceded by a native courier, 
who informed Pizarro that his master was coming 
armed, even as the Spaniards had come to him. 

" Tell your master," said the Castilian, " that come 
as he may, I will receive him as a friend and a brother." 

Shortly afterwards the procession approached. 
First came a large number of natives, who had brooms 
in their hands and who swept all rubbish from the 
roadway. Then came a crowd of Peruvian soldiers. 
In their center the Inca was carried aloft upon a litter, 
surroimdod by his nobles, who wore quantities of golden 
ornaments which glittered and gleamed in the sunshine. 



238 FAIVIOUS DISCOVERERS 

The Peruvian army followed, and, when they had all 
arrived within half a mile of the gate to the city, 
Pizarro was startled to see them halt. They seemed to 
be preparing to encamp, and a runner came to the court- 
yard, stating that the Inca had decided to delay his 
entrance into the city until the following morning. 

" Tell your master," said Pizarro, " that I have pro- 
vided a feast for his entertainment, and that my fol- 
lowers will be grievously disappointed if he does not 
come to visit us this day." 

The runner went away, and Pizarro beat his foot 
upon the floor in anxious solicitude, for, should the Inca 
not come at this time, he feared that he would not be 
able to control his own followers, who had been under 
arms since daylight. 

To the delight of the Spanish, a second runner now 
approached, who announced that the Inca would meet 
the white men; but would bring into the town with 
him only a few unarmed warriors. Pizarro breathed 
easier, and then inspected his followers, finding that all 
were in their places and eager for the attack. 

The day was wearing to a close. Deep shadows from 
the gabled ends of the ancient buildings fell upon the 
court-yard, as the Peruvians, chanting their songs of 
triumph, entered the city gate and unsuspectingly 
marched onward to their destruction. Atahuallpa was 
in an open litter, lined with the brilliantly colored 
plumes of tropical birds and studded wuth burnished 
plates of gold and of silver. Around his neck hung a 
collar of large and brilliant emeralds. His dress was 
of the richest silk. At this time he was about thirty 



FRANCISCO PIZiVRRO 239 

years of age and had a fine frame, a large and hand- 
some head ; but bloodshot eyes, which gave him a fierce 
and vindictive appearance. His bearing was calm, yet 
dignified, and he gazed upon the natives about him as 
one accustomed to command. He was surrounded by 
nobles, who were clad in blue uniforms studded with 
gold. 

The procession entered the great square of the house 
which had been assigned to the Spaniard, but not a 
Castilian soldier was there. Only a priest. Father Val- 
verde, Pizarro's Chaplain, was to be seen. He came 
forward, bible in hand, and, walking to the Inca's lit- 
ter, began to explain to him the doctrines of the Chris- 
tian religion. 

" The Pope at Rome has commissioned the Emperor 
of Spain to conquer and to convert the inhabitants of 
this western world," said he to the Inca, " and I be- 
seech you, therefore, to embrace the Christian faith and 
acknowledge yourself a tributary to the Emperor 
Charles of Spain, who will aid and protect you as a 
loyal vassal." 

As he spoke, fire flashed from the eyes of Atahuallpa, 
and he answered : " I will be no man's tributary. I 
am far greater than any Prince on earth. Your own 
Emperor may be a great prince, I do not doubt it when 
I see that he has sent his subjects so far across the 
waters, and I am willing to hold him as a brother. As 
for the Pope of whom you speak, he must certainly be 
insane to give away countries which do not belong to 
him. As for my faith, I will not change it. Your 
own God, you say, was put to death by the very men 



240 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

whom he trusted, but mine " — here he stretched out 
his hand towards the setting sun — " my God still 
lives in the heavens and looks down upon his children. 
By what authority, man of Spain, do you say these 
things ? " 

The friar pointed to the well-worn bible which he 
held in his hand. 

The Inca took it, looked at it for an instant, and 
then threw it violently down, exclaiming: " Tell your 
comrades that they shall give an account of their do- 
ings in my land. I will not go from here until they 
have given me full satisfaction for all the wrongs which 
they have committed." 

This startled Valverde, and, rushing to Pizarro, he 
cried out: 

" Do you not see that, while we stand here wasting 
our breath in talking with this dog — full of pride as 
he is — the fields behind him are filling up with his 
Indian allies? Set upon him at once, I absolve 
you." 

Pizarro smiled, for he saw that the moment to strike 
had arrived. So he waved a white scarf, a gun was 
fired as a signal for the attack, and from every opening, 
the Spaniards poured into the great square, sword in 
hand, shouting their old battle-cry : " St. lago and at 
them ! " 

A few cannon, which they had dragged up the moun- 
tain slopes with much stress and difiiculty, were turned 
upon the startled Peruvians, and were discharged. 
The Indians were unarmed and were taken totally by 
surprise. Stunned by the noise of the artillery and 



FRANCISCO PIZARRO 241 

blinded with smoke, they rushed hither and thither in 
confusion, as the Spanish free-booters pressed in upon 
every side. 

Fierce and agonizing cries went up from the court- 
yard, as nobles and Peruvian soldiers were ruthlessly 
cut down and trampled under the feet of the Spanish 
horsemen. So great, indeed, was the impact of these 
writhing Indians when they were pressed back against 
the wall of clay and stone, which surrounded the court- 
yard, that they broke through it, and, clambering over 
the debris, rushed headlong into the open country, hotly 
pursued in every direction by the Castilian cavalry- 
men, who cut them down with their sharp broadswords. 

Meanwhile, what of the Inca, for the possession of 
whose body the invaders were making such a desperate 
effort ? 

Atahuallpa sat as if stunned. His litter was forced 
this way and that by the swaying throng, while his na- 
tive attendants faithfully endeavored to defend him. 
As fast as one was cut down, another took his place, 
and, with their dying grasp, they clung to the bridles 
of the cavaliers in a vain endeavor to keep them away 
from the body of their sacred master. Fearing that 
the Inca might escape in the darkness, a few cavaliers 
now dashed in, in an attempt to end the battle by tak- 
ing the life of the Peruvian chieftain ; but Pizarro saw 
this action, and cried out: "Let no man who values 
his life strike at the Inca ! " 

As he spoke, he stretched out his arm in order to 
shield him, and received a wound in the hand from one 
of his own men. This, strange to relate, is said to be 



242 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

the only wound received by any Spaniard during the 
entire action. 

The litter was now overturned, and Atahuallpa 
would have fallen violently to the gi'ouud, had not Pi- 
zarro and two of his soldiers caught the now humil- 
iated chieftain in their arms. A soldier immediately 
snatched the crimson ribbon from his forehead. The 
helpless Peruvian monarch was taken to the nearest 
building and was carefully guarded, while his followers 
ceased their fruitless struggle and ran away as fast as 
they were able. The Castilian horsemen pursued 
them, until night fell, and the sound of the trumpet re- 
called them to the square at Caxamalca. It is recorded 
that many thousand of the Indians lay dead about the 
city, while not a single Spaniard had forfeited his life 
in this sharp but important engagement. 

The Spaniards now had the Inca in their possession ; 
but they were very few, in a great country, and sur- 
rounded by enemies. Atahuallpa seemed to be re- 
signed to his unfortunate position; but he was deter- 
mined to gain his freedom, if possible. He saw that 
gold was what his captors chiefly desired, and decided 
to try to buy his freedom, for he feared that Huascar 
might wrest the kingdom from him when he discovered 
that his brother was in captivity. He therefore prom- 
ised Pizarro that he would fill the room in which they 
stood with gold, if he would but set him free. 

" I will stuff with gold this chamber in which we 
stand," said he. " Not only will I cover the floor with 
it, but I will pile it up to a line drawn around the walla 
as high as you can reach." 



FRANCISCO PIZARRO 243 

Pizarro was dumb-founded, for the room was seven- 
teen feet broad by twenty-two feet long, and the line 
upon the wall was nine feet high. He was still more 
alfected when the Inca agreed to fill a smaller room, ad- 
joining this one, with silver twice over, if he were given 
two months' time. 

The Spaniard decided to accept, for, should Atahu- 
allpa really do this, he could even then make way with 
him and still have possession of the gold. 

'' Go ahead," he remarked. " When you have ful- 
filled your contract, you shall have your freedom." 

Alas for the Inca ! He did not know that treachery 
was the chief trait of all these Spanish adventurers. 

The collection of the treasure went rapidly on, while 
Atahuallpa remained in the Spanish quarters, treated 
with gi'eat consideration, but strictly guarded. He 
even learned to play chess, and, although closely 
watched, was allowed to see his subjects freely. His 
dress was sometimes of vicuna wool, sometimes of bats' 
skins which were velvety sleek. He changed this often, 
but nothing which he had worn could be used by 
another, and, when he laid a robe aside, it was 
burned. 

Huascar, meanwhile, had heard of Atahuallpa's cap- 
ture and this roused in him a hope that he could regain 
his own kingdom, of which he had been recently de- 
spoiled. He sent word, therefore, to Pizarro, that, 
should the Spaniards wish it, he could pay a far 
greater ransom than his brother. He would expect to 
be reinstated to the chief command after this had 
been done. 



244 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

News of this came to Ataliuallpa, who also learned 
that Pizarro had said that Iluascar should be brought 
to Caxamalca, so that he, himself, might determine 
which of the two brothers had a better right to the 
scepter of the Incas. This aroused in him a furious 
jealousy, and, fearing that the claims of his brother 
might be respected, he ordered secretly that Huascar 
should be put to death by his guards as he approached. 
He w-as accordingly drowned in the river Andamapa, 
as he neared Caxamalca. 

" The white men will avenge my murder," said he, 
with his dying breath, " and my brother will find that 
he will not long survive my assassination ! " 

He was quite correct in this surmise, for the Span- 
iards grew suspicious of the Inca, and pretended to be- 
lieve that he was arranging a general uprising among 
the Peruvians against the white men. When the treas- 
ure had nearly all been collected, they demanded that 
Pizarro should disburse it among them, which was done, 
after the golden vases and ornaments had been melted 
down into solid bars. What do you think? It was 
worth nearly three and a half million pounds sterling, 
or seventeen million five hundred thousand dollars 
($17,500,000.00). 

This distribution practically ruined the soldiers. 
They squandered it recklessly, or lost it over dice and 
cards. Very few were wise enough to return to Spain 
in order to enjoy their ill-gotten spoils in their native 
country, and one, indeed, lost a portion of one of the 
great golden images of the Sun, taken from the chief 
temple, in a single night of gaming; whence came the 




KXH I HON OK TlIK IN( A OK I'KRT 



FRANCISCO PIZARRO 245 

famous Spanish proverb : " He plays away the sun be- 
fore sunrise ! " 

The wild and reckless Castilians, drunk with gold and 
sudden power, clamored for the life of the unhappy 
Inca, for rumors reached them that an immense army 
was mustering at Quito to attack them. Atahuallpa 
denied any knowledge of this, but his protestations of 
innocence did him little good. Pizarro, taking advan- 
tage of the absence of some of the cavaliers who would 
have defended the poor, helpless Indian, ordered him to 
be brought to instant trial. Several brown-skinned wit- 
nesses were produced, who gave testimony which sealed 
his doom; and, in spite of the fact that a few of the 
Spaniards staunchly stood up for him, he was found 
guilty of having assassinated his brother Huascar, of 
raising an insurrection against the invaders, and was 
sentenced to be burned alive. 

The miserable Inca, when informed of his impend- 
ing fate, lost, for a moment, his courage, which had 
heretofore never deserted him. 

" What have I or my children done," said he to 
Pizarro, " that I should meet such a doom ? And, 
from your hands, too ! You who have met with noth- 
ing but friendship and kindness from my people, and 
who have received nothing but benefits from my 
hands." 

In piteous wails he begged for his life. 

" I promise to pay double the ransom already given 
you, if you will but spare me," said he. 

It was all of no avail. After ho had consented 
to give up his own religion and be baptized, he was ex- 



246 FAMOUS DISCO VEREES 

ecuted, as the Spaniards were accustomed to put all 
their prisoners to death, — by strangulation. 

Pizarro had no easy time after this. Although Al- 
magro had arrived with reenforcements, there was 
serious trouble with all the Indians in the country. 
Freed of the power which governed them, they broke 
into fierce excesses, the remote provinces threw off their 
allegiance to the lucas, the great captains of distant 
annies set up for themselves, gold and silver acquired 
a new importance in their eyes; it was eagerly seized 
and hidden in caves and in forests. All Peru was in 
an uproar. 

Thus it remained for many years until, at last, the 
Spaniards successfully defeated all the native forces 
and secured the country to their o\nti dominion. But 
now they began to fight among themselves for the 
possession of the fruitful land. Almagro lived to be 
seventy years of age, after a life of continual battle 
and adventure. Finally he was put to death by Her- 
nando Pizarro, the brother of Francisco, who had fol- 
lowed him here from Spain. The murderer also dis- 
patched his son, but he himself was imprisoned in 
Madrid for these acts. He lived for many years after 
his release, some say to be a himdred. Francisco's 
other brother, Gonzalo, was beheaded in Peru for re- 
belling against the Spanish emperor. 

As for Francisco, that swineherd who had conquered 
the fair land of Peru and had let no obstacle stand in 
the way of his chosen purpose, he, himself, came to no 
peaceful end. Bnital, remorseless, ambitious, greedy, 
it was only natural^ that, when he had acquired power, 



FRANCISCO PIZiVRRO 247 

lie should stir up eucmies even among his ovm people. 
In the lovely month of June, 1541, he was murdered 
in his ouTi house at Lima by the desperate followers of 
the young Almagro, or the " Men of Chili," as they 
called themselves. Secretly and hastily he was buried 
by a few faithful scn'ants in an obscure corner of the 
cathedral, and thus miserably ended the life of this 
man of adventurous spirit and desperate courage. 

One cannot but admire the will-power of this Castil- 
ian, his serene calmness in time of danger, and his in- 
difference to physical suffering. But his ruthlessness 
and cruelty to the Inca, his vindictive lust for riches, 
his lack of feeling for the inoffensive natives, can give 
him no such position in the Hall of Fame as is held by 
a Lincoln, a Gordon, or a George "Washington. 

Peace to your restless and ambitious soul, Francisco 
Pizarro! 



HERNANDO DE SOTO: 

DISCOVERER OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER. 
(1496-1542) 



" Through the muddied lagoon we clambered, through 

the mire, the slime, and the muck; 
O'er hills and valleys we hastened, through the creeks 

where our cannon stuck. 
We were stung by the fierce mosquitoes, and were 

mocked by the chattering jay; 
But we hewed and hacked a passage through the grass 

where the moccasin lay. 
Fever, and heat, and ague were friends of our ceaseless 

toil. 
And many a brave Castilian was interred 'neath the 

friendless soil. 
We searched for the El Dorado, yet no gilded man 

found lue. 
Instead, a bed for our numberless dead, near the sob 

of the sun-gilded sea." 

Song of De Soto's Men — 1541. 



HERNANDO DE SOTO: 

DISCOVEEER OF THE MISSISSIPPI EIVEK 
(1496-1542) 

IX the old Spanish town of Seville, at the time when 
Pizarro and his numerous brothers were conquer- 
ing the gentle Peruvians, the streets were often 
filled with the adventurers who had returned from 
Mexico, Panama, and South America, laden with the 
treasures of plundered cities. Among these successful 
cavaliers, no one had a more gallant bearing, or a more 
captivating presence, than Hernando de Soto, who had 
been with the Castilian troops in their battles upon the 
loftj Peruvian plains. 

When the rapacious Spaniards had divided the ran- 
som of the helpless Atahuallpa, which amounted to such 
a fabulous sum, the ambitious De Soto's share, it is 
said, was fully a million dollars of our own money. 
You see, therefore, that, when he returned to Spain, 
he could set up a princely establishment and was one 
of the most important citizens of the country. But, 
dissatisfied with the humdrum life of the civilized com- 
munity in which he had hoped to end his days, he 
longed to go once more to this New World and discover 
other cities and other mines of treasure. He therefore 
asked the King to allow him to undertake an expedi- 
tion at his own expense, for he was so rich in worldly 

251 



252 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

goods that he had no need of financial assistance from 
the throne, which all the other discoverers and explor- 
ers has been seriously in need of. None, in fact, could 
have succeeded in their hazardous enterprises without 
the aid of the Castilian gold. 

Romance is a vast assistance to exploration. Men 
look towards the unknowm, wonder what is there, and, 
in order to verify their conjectures, go and explore. 
They bring back many stories. This element was of 
great aid to the daring Cavalier, for a fanciful legend 
was then current in Spain to the effect, that, in that far- 
distant America, was a country so rich in gold, that its 
King was completely gilded. He was known as El 
Dorado, the gilded man, and it became generally believed 
that this Kingdom of the Gilded Man lay somewhere in 
that vast, unexplored region, then called Florida, 

The King of Spain appointed De Soto Governor of 
this fabled country, and decreed that he should have the 
power to subdue and to rule it. When it became known 
that the famous cavalier was about to start for the 
New World, recruits flocked to his standard, and both 
high and low-born vied with each other to gain a place 
in his company of explorers. Men of noble birth even 
sold their estates in order to properly equip themselves 
for this expedition, as they expected to duplicate the 
experiences of the cavaliers in Peru and in Mexico. 
Many a tradesman, also, parted with his little shop in 
order to purchase armor, guns, and supplies for the 
great undertaking. The conquest of Florida was the 
talk of the hour and was upon every lip. It was a 
popular enterprise. 



HERNANDO DE SOTO 253 

One beautifully clear morning in Spring a fleet of 
■white-winged galleons swept from the harbor of Seville. 
Crowds lined the quays, and, although a faint cheer or 
two was heard, there were many gloomy faces, for there 
was a multitude of disappointed aspirants who could 
not find a vacant place upon the overcrowded ships. 
Bugles blared a parting salute, the yellow flag of Spain 
was dipped into the blue Atlantic, and with cries of 
" Adios ! We will find El Dorado ! " the cheering fol- 
lowers of this swashbuckling hero of that day, gazed 
eagerly towards the now vvell-kno\vn passage to the 
Spanish Main. It was more like a monster picnic 
party than a serious expedition. 

The Spaniards landed at Cuba, where they delayed 
for nearly a year, and passed their time in a round 
of balls, tilting-matches and bull-fights. After having 
enjoyed themselves to the full, they again embarked 
and headed for Florida, landing upon the beach at 
Tampa, where the American troops who were to wrest 
Cuba from the Spanish rule, set out for the harbor of 
Santiago, in the summer of 1808. All were cheerful 
and happy, eagerly looking forward to the not far dis- 
tant time when they would find rich and populous cities 
to be sacked and looted in the same manner that they 
had despoiled the Peruvian and Mexican strongholds. 

Fearing no enemy, about three hundred of them went 
ashore and encamped near the beach. They christened 
the bay, The Bay of the Holy Spirit ; and yet they 
were to find no Holy Spirit nestling behind the solemn 
palm trees which grew almost down to the sand, for, as 
they lay in fanciful security, suddenly the thicket rang 



254 FAIVIOUS DISCOVERERS 

with the wild war-whoops of the native Floridians, and 
a horde of dusky forms rushed in among them, shoot- 
ing arrows and striking with sharp, stone tomahawks. 

All was now a scene of terror and confusion. A few 
of the Spaniards ran to the water's edge, shrilly blow- 
ing upon their trumpets in order to attract those left 
upon the ships. Others cried loudly for help, and, pil- 
ing into the longboats, their comrades hastened to their 
assistance, leaped upon the sand, and, with a fierce 
battle-cry, drove the Indians pell-mell into the shelter- 
ing palms. Thereafter the Castilians were most care- 
ful to establish a picket-post around their encampments, 
for they had suffered severely in this first encounter. 

The boats were now imloaded, many of the larger ves- 
sels were sent back to Cuba, while the smaller craft, or 
caravels, were kept for the service of the army. A 
number of men were left on guard at Tampa, while the 
remainder set off into the forest, heading towards the 
northeast. They had not gone far before they came 
upon a white man, who was none other than a lonely 
survivor of a previous expedition, led by a Spaniard 
called l^arvaez. His name was Juan Ortiz. He had 
been with the Indians for a long time, as he had been 
very young when captured by the natives. They had 
spared his life because of the intercession of a chief's 
daughter. Since this lucky proceeding, which was 
quite similar to that of Pocohontas and John Rolfe, he 
had lived with a neighboring tribe. The Spaniards 
were delighted to secure his services as a guide and in- 
terpreter. 

When the followers of Pizarro had reached Peru 



HEKNANDO DE SOTO 255 

they had immediately found gold among the natives. 
You know that this is what they were after and what 
they seized upon with greedy fingers. Not so in palm- 
studded Florida. For, as the mail-clad invaders pushed 
into this barren and sandy country, they found no gold 
and no splendid cities with temples filled with jeweled 
images. After marching for hours through intermin- 
able pine forests and floundering through dense swamps, 
where the natives shot at them with poisoned arrows 
from behind trees, and harassed and slew them as they 
splashed through the mire and deep water, they found 
nothing but deserted villages and a few aged Indians 
who were too decrepit to make their escape. 

This naturally angered the adventurers. Those who 
had sold their property in order to join in this hazard- 
ous expedition, began to be sorry that they had ever left 
the peaceful soil of old Castile. Those who had sacri- 
ficed good positions to take a chance in the search of 
this El Dorado, began to bewail their coming, and 
to bemoan the fact that they had listened to the sweet 
strains of romance which had been woven over these 
expeditions into the unknown. 

The fabled El Dorado could be no gilded chieftain, 
he was a gilded fool. Alas that they ever left the gray 
cobbled streets of ancient Seville ! 

Yet on, on, they toiled wearily, ever hoping to find 
the gold which never came to view. They finally ap- 
proached a native village which was filled with war- 
riors of mettle, for they were furiously attacked. A 
shower of arrows fell among them, but, little heeding 
these missiles, the Spaniards discharged their guns, and, 



256 FA^IOUS DISCOVERERS 

rushing upon the patriotic Indians, easily routed them. 
Many of the poor redskins took refuge in a pond and 
swam out so that they could not be reached. The Span- 
iards immediately surrounded the water and awaited 
developments. A historian of the period says: 

" Nine hundred Indians took to the pond, and, all 
day long, continued to swim around shouting defiance 
and mounting on each other's shoulders in order to shoot 
their arrows. Night came, and not one had surren- 
dered; midnight, and still not one. At ten o'clock the 
next day, after twenty-four hours in the water, some 
two hundred came out, all stiff and cold. Others fol- 
lowed. The last seven would not give up, but were 
dragged out unconscious by the Spaniards, who swam 
in after them, when they had been thirty hours in the 
water, without touching bottom. Then the humane in- 
vaders exerted themselves to warm and restore to life 
these unfortunate people." 

In spite of this kind treatment, the men from Cas- 
tile put irons on many of these natives, and took them 
along with them, so that they would have slaves to 
transport their baggage, pound their corn, and serve 
them when in camp. A soldier, who has written of this 
journey, says that, upon one occasion, the enslaved pris- 
oners rose against their masters and tried to massacre 
them, but the Spaniards crushed this attempt, brought 
the helpless Indians to the village square, and caused 
them to be hacked to pieces by their halberdiers, or 
swordsmen. You can readily see that these invaders 
were making no happy impression upon simple- 
minded Americans. 




DK SOTO I\ TIIK 1 I.OKIliA VV I I.D: K NKSS 



HERNANDO DE SOTO 257 

The Spaniards were now in the country of Apalachee, 
which was then, as it is to-day, a laud of agriculture, 
with well-tilled fields of jom, of pumpkins and beans, 
and with a farm-lovin; population of red men. The 
Castilians seized all the provisions which they needed 
for their journey, and, when the Indians objected, slew 
them mercilessly, but not without the loss of many of 
their own people. 

Although the majority of the party were much dissat- 
isfied with the fact that they had not discovered gold, 
De Soto seemed to be satisfied with the outlook. A few 
men were sent to the south in order to find the ocean, 
and came back with the report that they had run upon 
a magnificent harbor : the Bay of Pensacola. They had 
also seen the skulls of horses on the beach, these being 
the remains of those killed by the Spanish explorer, 
Narvaez, who had fed the flesh to his men while engaged 
in building boats for their departure from this country. 
De Soto ordered a vessel to set sail for Cuba, stating 
that he had met with great success, was much pleased 
with the outlook, and wished more men and horses. 

This was all very well for the provisional Governor, 
but still no gold had been found, and the soldiers were 
discouraged and disgusted with this lack of success. 
Eagerly they listened to the tales of two Indian boys 
who undertook to guide them to a region where they 
would find gold in abundance; the land of the Cofachi- 
qui. It was towards the northeast, said the lads, so the 
Spaniards set out in that direction, expecting to find a 
city similar to Tnmbez in Peru, and also El Dorado, 
the golden man, sitting upon a throne of solid golden in- 



258 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

gots. Accordingly, they set out to cross the territory 
which is now the State of Georgia. It was a pleasant, 
fruitful land, inhabited by a peaceable and kindly peo- 
ple, who entertained them hospitably in their villages, 
and furnished them generously with food. The Span- 
iards had no need of resorting to their usual cruel 
methods, and the chiefs gave them guides and porters 
so that they could more easily pass on. 

But see how crafty and keen these old Indians were ! 

A certain chieftain offered to furnish the travelers 
with guides and with porters. The Castilians eagerly 
accepted the offer, but so many armed warriors as- 
sembled in order to go with them, that the Spaniards 
suspected them of meditating treachery, and thus 
watched them very closely. The Indians seemed to 
travel along peacefully enough ; but, when the village 
of Cofachiqui was reached, and the Spanish soldiers 
had gone to sleep, their redskinned guides and porters 
fell upon the unsuspecting natives, who lived there, and 
massacred all upon whom they could lay their hands. 
This, indeed, had been a war-party in disguise, which 
had taken a clever method of invading the territory of 
a tribe which was hostile to them, and which heretofore 
they had been afraid to attack. The affair took place 
at a distance of between thirty or forty miles below the 
present city of Augusta, Georgia. 

Still the travelers kept on and on. Ever were their 
thoughts upon gold, and yet no gold seemed to appear, 
nor did the natives seem to possess any of the precious 
metal. After they had crossed a broad river, they found 
a well-to-do race of natives in a well-tilled coimtry, 



HERNANDO DE SOTO 259 

governed by a young woman who received tliem with 
great kindness and gave them corn, pork, and sweet 
potatoes. She also presented them with pearls, of 
which she had a gi-eat quantity, as they were found in 
the shell-fish in the streams. De Soto saw little value 
in these stones, and, although he was invited to carry 
away all that he could, he refused to take more than 
fifty pounds, as a sample to show to the Cubans when 
he should return. He was also presented with a herd 
of hogs, which he drove off before him towards the west. 

The climate was not unhealthy, and so the Castilians 
had an easy time of it. They wandered through upper 
Georgia, across the mountains into lower Tennessee, 
and then into the present State of Alabama. As ves- 
sels from Cuba were expected to meet them with re- 
enforcements and supplies, they now headed for Pensa- 
cola Bay. 

At a place called Choctaw Bluff, not far from the 
present city of Mobile, they came to an Indian town 
presided over by a fierce chieftain by the name of 
Tuscaloosa, which means Black Warrior. This village 
had the sweet-sounding name of Mauvila. It was sur- 
rounded by a high palisade, which was chinked and plas- 
tered with mud, and, besides this, there were slits in 
the sides of the walls, so that those who defended it 
could shoot through at an attacking party. 

De Soto rode ahead of the main body of Castilians 
with about a hundred horsemen. They were clad in 
doublets and trousers, with steel caps, breast plates and 
greaves upon tlicir legs. As it was wami, most of this 
armor was slung to their saddles with cords, while the 



260 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

cavaliers trotted along joyously, chanting many an old 
Spanish song, and laughing and jesting with one an- 
other, for they were having a pleasant journey, even 
though no gold had been discovered. Keaching the 
sleepy little village of these southern Indians, they were 
met by the chief, Tuscaloosa, who appeared to be most 
friendly and asked them to enter and have a feast. 
Fearing nothing, and remembering the pleasant re- 
ception which they had received while marching through 
Georgia, they trotted gayly forward, while De Soto 
chatted with the chief by means of a native interpreter. 

They rode to a position near the palisade, and then, 
dismounting, went inside in order to greet the inhabit- 
ants. Here was a large Indian town and hundreds 
of women, who greeted them in a friendly manner and 
waved their hands. Almost immediately a blow was 
struck. The Spaniards say that they were enticed into 
the palisade on purpose, and in order that they might 
be slaughtered by thousands of warriors who were hid- 
den behind the wigwams, and had been summoned 
thither from the surrounding country. This is hardly 
probable, for, had the Indians contemplated a battle, 
they would certainly have first removed their children. 
'No doubt a hot-headed Castilian started all the trouble. 
At any rate the soldiers from Seville were soon engaged 
in a fierce hand-to-hand encounter with a vast con- 
course of howling savages. 

There was a fearful battle. The cavaliers had for- 
tunately donned their armor, after dismounting from 
their horses, and it was well, for a shower of sharp- 
pointed arrows fell amongst them. A horde of Indians 



HERNANDO DE SOTO 261 

swarmed from their houses and swept the invaders be- 
fore them, driving them in a struggling mass through 
the narrow entrance to the palisade. The Castilians 
ran to their horses and hastily mounted, hut some were 
so hard-pressed by the natives that they were unable 
to get into their saddles, while their patient steeds, 
struck with a shower of arrows, broke away and ran 
frantically into the woods. In spite of the confusion 
and uproar, the Spaniards kept cool, and, although 
driven to a distance, formed a battle line and came 
back, pressing the native bo'^Tnen before them. With 
fixed lances they charged into the yelping mob, only 
to be met with splendid courage by the native soldiers. 

De Soto bore himself right valiantly and led his men, 
using his long, sharp lance with deadly effect. His 
soldiers, too, were not laggards in the attack, and fol- 
lowed him closely, shouting the Spanish battle cry: 
" St. lago and at them ! " Many were sorely wounded. 
De Soto himself, as he leaned forward to make a lance 
thrust, received an arrow in the exposed portion of his 
thigh. This made it impossible for him to sit down, so, 
throughout the remainder of the day, he rode, standing 
in his stirrups. 

Several of the more prominent Castilians were shot 
dead. The Spanish leader's brother, Diego de Soto, 
was pierced through the eye by an arrow, which came 
out at the back of his neck. A young cavalier, called 
Carlo Enriquez, who had married the Governor of Flor- 
ida's niece, leaned over the neck of his horse in order 
to pull out an arrow from the animal's breast, and thus 
exposed his throat, which was instantly pierced by an 



262 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

Indian barb, so that he fell prostrate. Thus the bat- 
tle raged furiously, while shrill trumpets blared out 
the distress of the Spaniards and summoned their easy- 
riding comrades to come speedily to their assistance. 

The greater portion of De Soto's troop were jogging 
peacefully along in the sunshine, little realizing into 
what a desperate strait their advance guard had fallen. 
Late in the afternoon they approached the Indian vil- 
lage and were much surprised to see dense volumes of 
smoke rising to the sky. Those in advance sent back 
word to hurry on, while they galloped forward in order 
to see what was amiss. All hurried towards the sound 
of battle, and, now, realizing that their comrades were 
in a desperate fight, they rushed to their assistance, 
cheering wildly as they did so. The black smoke was 
pouring from the thatched Indian houses, which the 
Spaniards had set on fire, and a bloody hand-to-hand en- 
gagement was in progress around the smoking debris. 
The main body of cavaliers had now arrived. They 
charged vigorously, cutting down both women and men, 
and, amidst the shrieks of the women and wailing of 
little children, Tuscaloosa's people were annihilated. 
At last all had been dispersed or butchered. 

The Spanish histories of this bloody affair say that 
at last only a solitary warrior was left. Seeing that all 
his friends and companions had either perished or fled, 
he sprang upon the palisade, and, finding that he was 
surrounded on all sides by vindictive steel-clad Span- 
iards with menacing swords, he twisted off his bow- 
string, and, making a slip-noose, hanged himself to 
the stout limb of a tree. 



HERNANDO DE SOTO 263 

The battle of Mauvila had left De Soto in a sorry 
state, for eighty-two of his followers had been killed, 
and so many of the men had been wounded that the 
surgeon could not give them proper attention. In fact, 
so broken up were the cavaliers, and particularly the 
horses, which had suffered badly from the numerous 
arrows which had been fired into them, that De Soto 
was forced to tarry in the vicinity of the ruined Indian 
village for three weeks. The Spanish accounts of the 
battle say that eleven thousand natives fell before the 
swords, lances, and clumsy muskets of the Castilian 
invaders of this peaceful country. 

De Soto was only a few days' journey from Pensa- 
cola, where the ship, which he had sent to Cuba for 
supplies, was to reach him. Yet, instead of heading 
for the ocean, he decided to march towards the north, 
evidently hoping to find some city where was gold and 
silver, similar to that which he had seen in the table- 
lands of Peru. 

The El Dorado seekers accordingly marched north- 
west, and passed through a flat country where was much 
game. The Indians were treacherous and constantly 
annoyed them by attempting to steal their horses, and 
by attacking any parties which traveled at a distance 
from the main column. It was now December. As the 
weather grew chill, De Soto determined to spend the 
winter in some convenient spot, and, as he now came 
upon a well-built Indian towTi, which had recently been 
deserted, he reached the conclusion that this was the 
very place for which he had been in search. Accord- 
ingly, his cavaliers made themselves comfortable in the 



264 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

tbatched huts of the Chickasaws, for such was the name 
of the redskius who had settled here. 

Trouble was still iu store for the adventurous gold- 
seekers. 

After their many battles and long journeys, the men 
enjoyed themselves in hunting and in taking life easy. 
There was an abundance of com stored here, so their 
horses grew sleek and fat, while their masters chased 
rabbits and other small game. All was peaceful. Ap- 
parently not an Indian was in the vicinity, so the guards 
relaxed their vigilance, gi'cw somewhat careless, and 
unsuspectingly offered a tempting opening to any red- 
skins who might wish to attack them. 

One night the Chickasaws made good use of their op- 
portunity to get even with the invaders of what they 
considered to be their sacred soil. It was towards the 
end of January and a fierce north wind was blowing. 
While the men were sleeping in their huts, suddenly 
a wild war-whoop welled upon the night air, and, as 
the wind howled dismally, the roofs over their heads 
burst into a crackling blaze. Fanned by the high 
breeze, the flames leaped into the air, and, in a moment 
the whole camp was red with fire. The Spaniards 
sprang to arms and rushed forth to the fray, some in 
their shirts, and many without their armor on. 

What had happened ? 

Under cover of the darkness, and unheard, because 
of the blustering wind, the vindictive Ohiekasaws had ap- 
proached their abandoned town and had furiously at- 
tacked it. They had poured in a volley of arrows with 
burning wisps attached to them, which quickly ignited 



HERNANDO DE SOTO 265 

the thatched roofs aud seut a reddening glare over the 
scene of confusion. De Soto leaped upon his horse, 
but did so hurriedly and without tightening the girth. 
It turned with him and he pitched to the ground, fall- 
ing upon his chest, immediately the howling savages 
surrounded him and attempted to put an end to his life, 
but his men rushed to his assistance, beat off the shriek- 
ing Chickasaws, and dragged him by the feet to a posi- 
tion of safety. Leaping again to the saddle, with a 
mighty cheer, he led his men into the fray with such 
impetuosity, that the Indians disappeared into the black- 
ness. Forty of the Spaniards had been killed, fifty of 
their precious horses had been prostrated by barbed 
arrows and flaming brands, while the larger part of 
their clothing, arms, their saddles and their provisions, 
had been consumed. They were also houseless, and the 
wind was bitterly chill. Fortunately, the Chickasaws 
did not again attack. 

But the hostile savages did not leave them alone. 
When Spring came and the horsemen resumed their 
march, they were repeatedly harassed by the red men, 
who crept near them on every side, and cut down any 
unsuspecting Spaniard who wandered from the column. 

Pursuing a northwesterly course, the cavaliers at 
length came upon a great force of the natives, who, 
stripped to their waists and painted with various col- 
ors, yelled their defiance and brandished their spears 
and arrows at the invaders. Nearby was their strong- 
hold, a palisade surrounding their huts, which had three 
entrances. -The Spaniards advanced in three columns 
to attack these openings. 



266 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

What could these half-clad redskins do against men 
in steel armor, and with sword, buckler, and arque- 
busier? The Castilians drove them into their forti- 
fication like sheep, and there massacred them as they 
had the fierce warriors under Tuscaloosa. According 
to old accounts, two thousand of the Indians were slain, 
although the native warriors inflicted quite a loss upon 
their attackers. The invaders secured provisions, com, 
and female slaves, which they transported with them in 
their journey towards the northwest. 

The Spaniards took their battles lightly, for they con- 
sidered it all a part of the day's work. They resumed 
their march, but now they must have been pretty sure 
that no El Dorado could exist in this flat and some- 
what marshy country. Still, they were cheerful, and 
when, a few weeks later, they came upon a great muddy 
river which was so wide that they could not see a man 
upon the other bank, they felt that certainly their trip, 
their many discomforts, and their losses, had not been 
in vain. When they viewed the turbid current of the 
Mississippi they were filled with silent awe, and a 
priest, holding the cross of Christ high in the air, 
blessed the surging flood, while De Soto cried out : " I 
take you in behalf of the King of Spain, and shall call 
you mine own from henceforth ! " 

This gallant cavalier was a man of resource. He set 
his soldiers immediately to work constructing boats, 
and, gradually moving up the river in order to find a 
place where it would be possible to cross — for the little 
army was upon high bluffs (now called the Chickasaw 
Bluffs) — he transported all in safety to the other side 



HERNANDO DE SOTO 267 

and into the land of Arkansas, the seventh State of 
the present Union, upon whose soil these restless explor- 
ers had set their feet. 

They wandered towards the setting sun. Here were 
vast plains filled with herds of buffalo and roving bands 
of hostile redskins, from whom, they learned that other 
white men had preceded them, although rumors of the 
adventurous Coronado's march had traveled eastward 
by word of mouth among the native inhabitants of the 
plains. This Spaniard had traveled thither from Mex- 
ico, and, could the two parties have met each other, 
there would have been great rejoicing. But there was 
to be no such good fortune, and De Soto's men found 
only simple, but treacherous natives. 

The Spaniards lost some of their horses. The es- 
cape of these was fortunate for future generations of 
pioneers, as many an emigrant in later years was able 
to cross the plains by capturing and taming one of the 
descendants of these fugitives from the bit and the sad- 
dle. 

The adventurers wandered about for many months, 
wintered in a well-provisioned village near the Ked 
River, within the present State of Louisiana, then, to 
the great joy of the now well-seasoned veterans, De Soto 
told them that he was about to return to the great, tur- 
bid Mississippi. He informed the wanderers that he 
intended to build boats, send them down the stream 
and across the Gulf of Mexico, to Cuba, and to transport 
thither many other men and a plentiful supply of pro- 
visions, so as to establish a colony in his Kingdom of 
Florida. 



268 FAxMOUS DISCOVERERS 

The conception was a graud one. Yet the imagina- 
tive and jealous Castilian had not reckoned with one 
powerful enemy, that cruel and unrelenting persecutor 
called Death. 

The active brain of this gallant explorer was busy 
with perfecting his plans for the founding of a settle- 
ment in the wilderness. He carefully selected the of- 
ficers and crews who were to take charge of the vessels 
which he proposed to build. He chose those who were 
to remain with him upon the banks of the rolling Mis- 
sisaijipi. Some were set to work cutting timbers ; others 
collected gum from pine trees; while still others put up 
forges and made nails from bits of iron which they had 
carried with them. All were busy and active in prep- 
aration both for the stay of those who were to colonize 
this country, and the departure of those who were to 
leave. Yet the fever was in the veins of our venture- 
some Castilian and his customary vigor was slackened. 
De Soto grew so weakened that he had to be carried 
to his tent and was delirious. 

While upon the Eed River, one of the malaria-breed- 
ing mosquitos had driven his tiny sting into the flesh 
of the brave adventurer. He had sickened from the 
poison, yet refused to give up to the disease, until the 
fever was raging in his veins. He now sank rapidly. 
Yellow fever had doubtless assailed him, and his sys- 
tem, already weakened by much exposure and by shock 
of battle, could not throw off the inroads of the dread 
disease. He sank day by day. When he knew that 
the end was approaching, ho called his officers together, 
asked their forgiveness for any wrong which he might 



HERNxVNDO DE SOTO 269 

have done tliem, and named Moscoso de Alvarado to 
succeed him to the command of the expedition. Officers 
and bluff soldiers all swore allegiance to their new 
leader. The dying explorer begged his followers to 
carry out his ideas in the settlement of the vast country 
of Florida, and this they promised him that they would 
do. 

One warm, sultry morning, when the mocking bird 
was trilling a beautiful melody from an overhanging 
sycamore, which jutted over the bank of the slow-mov- 
ing, yet turbulent Mississippi, the spirit of the bold ad- 
venturer departed. His hardened and sunburned com- 
panions were dewy-eyed when they gazed upon the still 
countenance of their friend and kindly adviser. They 
wrapped him in a sheet, rowed him to the center of the 
swirling stream, dropped him overboard, and left him 
amidst the silence of the great, wild country where the 
" golden man " had never been found. 

So perished De Soto, a cavalier of Spain in a day 
when Spain had great warriors and noble-minded, yet 
adventuresome men. As a horseman he had few su- 
periors; as a soldier he could bear as many privations 
as any man. Towards his own cavaliers he was mer- 
ciful and just; towards the hostile natives of silent 
Florida he was merciless and cruel. He was a man of 
learning, of imagination, of iron will, as is exliibited 
by the fact that he held his gold-worshiping supporters 
to their journey long after many had sickened of the 
affair and had wished to go home. At one time worth 
a million dolhirs, the companion of Kings and of 
Princes, he died in the wilderness of the New World. 



270 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

nis followers drifted back to Mexico, broken in both 
health and in spirit, so his ambitious dream for a col- 
ony in the land of the fanciful El Dorado was never 
consummated. 



SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN: 

EXPLORER OF THE CANADIAiT 
WILDERNESS. 

(1567-1635) 



Where the hemlock tends her tufted head; 

Where the heaver breeds in the pool; 
Where the moose-bird chatters his mimic song; 

And the willowy grilses school; 
'Neath the feathery arch of the drowsy larch. 

The birch bark floated and swayed. 
As the rhythmic paddles dipped and swung. 

And splashed with the slap of the spade. 
On the rocking waves of the foaming lake. 

The Frenchman turned and gazed, 
For he saw a land which was new, which was grand. 

And his spirit shrank amazed. 
So he planted the flag of King-cursed France, 

As he waved his sword above. 
And the waters were called the Lak de Champlain, 

— 'Twos the lake which the redskins love. 



SA^IUEL DE CHAJVIPLAIN: 

EXPLORER OF THE CANADIAN 
WILDERNESS. 

(1567-1635) 

UPON the north side of the river St. Lawrence, 
in Canada, and five hours' journey by steamer 
from the quaint old city of Quebec, nestles the 
little village of Murray Bay. It is a picturesque, 
peaceful collection of houses, where many of those who 
have wealth and leisure journey in summer to enjoy 
the champagne-like air and the rugged scenery. Now 
a great, modern hotel rises majestically from the hem- 
lock-covered river-bank; but if some of the fashionable 
guests who frequent it had stood there one brilliant day, 
many years ago, they would have seen two pigmy ves- 
sels holding their course up the lovely St. Lawrence. 
On board was a pair of venturesome Frenchmen: the 
Seigneur de Chastes and Samuel de Champlain, the 
latter a youthful and energetic explorer, who looked 
forward to adventures in the land of the treacherous 
redman, the broad-antlered moose, and the moon-eyed 
caribou. 

This brave son of France had been bom in the year 
1567 in the little towTi of Brouage, some twenty miles 
south of the seaport of La Rochclle. Little is known 

273 



274 FAMOUS DISCOVEEEES 

of his family or of his early life. His father, doubt- 
less the son of a fisherman, was a Captain in the navy, 
and one of his uncles was a sea-pilot of some renown. 

In youth Champlain became an excellent seaman, 
but, as his country was soon embroiled in civil and 
religious wars, his energies were engaged in martial 
exploits upon the land, and not upon the foaming At- 
lantic. Joining Henry of Navarre, he fought for the 
King with zeal and enthusiasm, although he, himself, 
was a Catholic, and his sovereign championed the 
Huguenot or Protestant cause. Champlain, in fact, 
loved country more than religion, and struggled to save 
her from dismemberment. His purse was small, his 
want great, and thus Henry the Fourth, from his own 
slender revenues, gave him a position as Captain. 

The war was finally over, and the youthful Cham- 
plain conceived a design which was quite in harmony 
with his adventurous nature. He would, indeed, visit 
the West Indies an^ bring back a report of those won- 
drous regions where was much peril, and where every 
intruding Frenchman was threatened with death. Here 
was adventure enough for any young fellow who had 
the stomach for a fight. 

"No sooner conceived than executed! The hot- 
blooded Frenchman was quickly on board a vessel 
bound for Vera Cruz. He stopped at the West Indies, 
made plans and sketches of them all, then landed upon 
the Mexican Coast. He penetrated inland and was 
struck with amazement at what he saw in the beautiful 
City of Mexico, where Cortes had battled, bled and con- 
quered. He visited Panama, and, — what think you! 



SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 275 

— even at this early date conceived the plan of ship- 
ping freight across the Isthmus, where to-day the 
United States has dug a great canal to expedite the 
commerce of the world. 

" I believe that a ship-canal, if constructed, would 
shorten the voyage to the South Sea by more than hf teen 
hundred miles.'' 

Oh, valorous Frenchman, had you but lived to see 
your wayward dream come to be a living reality! 

The adventurer now returned to the French Court, 
that Versailles of which has been truthfully said : "It 
cost one billion of francs and it took one billion drops 
of the peasants' blood to build it ! " Where, also, is 
the portrait of the famous soldier whose epitaph reads : 
" He was invincible in peace, invisible in war." Here 
was the center of frivolity and fashion, exactly what 
would weary the blood of such a backwoods soul as 
Champlain. He soon tired of it and longed to plunge 
again into the wilderness of the unknown West, for 
there, forsooth, would be danger and hardship enough 
for any man. 

Good fortune was to be with him. At court was a 
gray-haired veteran of the civil wars, who wished to 
mark his closing days with some notable achievement 
for France and for the church. This was Aymar de 
Chastes, commander of the order of St, John, and Gov- 
ernor of Dieppe. Ho longed to sail for Canada, or 
'New France — would Champlain go with him ? Well, 
I should think so! They embraced, shook hands upon 
it, — they would seek adventure and hardship together. 

So this is how they happened to be sailing past the 



276 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

hemlock-clad bills of Murray Bay, upon that bright, 
clear momiug, and I'll warrant that, if you ever play 
golf upon the course far above the town, as many of 
you doubtless have often done, and you will look out 
upon the great, turbid and raging river, where perhaps 
you can see the bobbing back of a white porpoise, you 
will think different thoughts than those which are con- 
nected with a sliced drive or a miserable put. 

Like veritable gnats upon the surface of the tide- 
swept stream, the vessels kept upon their way, passing 
the trading-post of Tadoussac (once a flourishing set- 
tlement, but now abandoned), the channel of Orleans, 
and the spuming falls of Montmorenci. They drifted 
by the brown rocks of Quebec, on, on, up the blue and 
charging river, until they came opposite that rounded 
mountain which lifts its head high above the present 
city of Montreal. All was solitude. Sixty-eight years 
before this Jacques Cartier, the navigator, had found 
a numerous savage population, but now all had vanished, 
and only a few wandering Algonquin redskins peered 
at them from the edge of the forest. 

Here are the fiercest of rapids, which, if you pass 
through to-day, you will find to be dangerous and an 
exciting adventure. The vigorous Champlain endeav- 
ored to paddle up them w^ith a few of the childlike 
Algonquins. His courage was greater than his ability 
to stem the whirling foam and tempestuous waves. 
Oars, paddles, poles, and pikos could not force the thin 
birch-bark canoes up the swift-moving St. Lawrence, 
and he was forced to return, acknowledging himself 
beaten. When he mounted the deck of his vessel, the 



SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 277 

redmen made rude sketches upon the planking of what 
he would find above, and spoke of a mighty water-fall 
(Niagara Falls) where the river plunged downward in 
a mass of tempestuous spray. Champlain listened with 
pleasure to these stories of what lay beyond, but he had 
to return, as De Chastes so willed it. After an un- 
eventful voyage the adventurers reached the shores of 
France. 

The gray-haired De Chastes, worn out by the rigors 
of the voyage, now passed to the great beyond, leav- 
ing his title to the great land of New France to Sieur 
de Monts, who immediately petitioned the King to al- 
low him to colonize Acadie, a region defined as extend- 
ing from Philadelphia to Montreal. Truly these early 
adventurers had magnificent ideas of distance, quite 
in keeping with their ambitious designs of conquest! 
The King readily gave him what he desired, so, with 
one vessel, he sailed from Havre de Grace upon the sev- 
enth day of April, 1604. 

But how about the adventure-loving Champlain? 
He remained at home not only for that year, but for 
five full years, while De Monts and his men were hav- 
ing plenty of hard knocks and experience in the bleak 
land of New France. 

The good seaman, in fact, quietly resided in Paris, 
but his unquiet thoughts were ever turning westward. 
He was enamored with the strange, hemlock-wooded 
country whose rugged hills and blue rivers were mir- 
rored upon his memory and continually urged him to 
" come back and explore ! " Even as Commander 
Peary has said that he pined for Arctic ice and snow, 



278 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

so, with restless longing, the noble-hearted Frenchman 
ever sighed for days upon the broad surface of the St. 
Lawrence, with starlit nights filled with the balsamy 
odors of the forests. Upon the banks near the mountain 
of Montreal he had determined to lay out a settlement, 
from which, as a base, the waters might be traced back 
far into the vast interior of the continent. With eager 
and tempestuous thoughts, he yearned to be once more 
scudding by the two peaks, which held high their heads 
as the Saguenay discharged its swift-moving current 
into the rushing St. Lawrence, far, far beneath them. 

The danger-loving De Monts returned after four 
years of adventure. To him Champlain expressed his 
views, which met with a ready response. Yes, indeed, 
they would go forth together, would trade with the In- 
dians, bring back a cargo of furs, and would found a 
town by those whirling rapids, 'neath the mountain of 
Montreal. 

On April the 16th. 1604, they sailed in a ship of 150 
tons from Havre de Grace, with a mixed company of 
priests. Huguenot ministers, impressed rogues, and 
honest settlers. Another vessel, under one Pontgravc, 
had preceded them by eight days, for she was laden 
with goods for the Indian trade at Tadoussac. 

By the third of June the adventurous Champlain 
neared the mouth of the Saguenay. The robust 
Frenchmen eagerly breathed in the clear air of the St. 
Lawrence, tinged with the faint smell of the spruce 
and the balsamy hemlock. The little vessel, swept by 
the tide and eddies, hold its course up the stream until 
the Island of Orleans was reached. Then it was run 



SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 279 

towards the northern bank and was anchored beneath 
the high cliifs of Quebec. The men went ashore, axes 
rang against the tree trunks, and soon a number of 
wooden buildings arose on the brink of the St. Law- 
rence, not far from the present market-place of the 
Lower Town. A settlement had been founded in the 
wilderness, which was to exist for centuries. 

It was now the eighteenth day of September. Pont- 
grave set sail for France, leaving Champlain with 
twenty-eight men to hold Quebec throughout the winter. 
October was soon upon them, October with its crystal 
air, shriveling leaves and laughing sun ; but it soon 
passed away, and the chill of frosty winter settled 
upon the little colony. It was to be a cold and cheer- 
less stay, and, as is always the case when men are 
in need of fresh vegetables, the scurvy broke out among 
the adventurers, killing many and seriously crippling 
the remainder. By the middle of May, only eight men 
out of the twenty-eight were alive, and of these half 
were suffering from the dreadful disease. Champlain, 
however, seems to have been an iron fellow, and suc- 
cessfully withstood the lack of that which it is neces- 
sary to eat in order to ward away the awful pestilence. 

But every lane has its turning, and Spring at last 
put in an appearance. Ice and snow melted under the 
genial rays of the sun, the honk ! honk ! of the wild 
geese was heard as they winged their way towards the 
north, and the bluebirds warbled from the budding 
maple trees. Great was the joy of the survivors of this 
awful winter when they saw a sail-boat rounding the 
Point of Orleans, and cheers greeted the French ex- 



280 FAJMOUS DISCOVERERS 

plorer Marias as he cast anchor in the ice-freed river. 
He brought good news. Pontgrave had been to France 
and back again. He was then at Tadoussac, waiting 
to speak with Champlain, and to talk of further ex- 
plorations into the wilderness. 

The hardy explorer hastened to confer with his 
friend and companion, for, in spite of the pestilence, his 
giant constitution had defied the scurvy. Sailing down 
the St. Lawrence, they soon met, and it was determined 
between them, that, while Pontgrave remained in charge 
of Quebec, Champlain should at once enter upon his 
long-meditated explorations, by which, he foolishly had 
hope of finding a way to China. 

Now was to be a series of great adventures. Late 
that Autumn a young chieftain from the banks of the 
Ottawa River had come to visit the half-starved colon- 
ists at Quebec, and had begged Champlain to join him, 
in the Spring, in an expedition against his enemies. 
These were the Iroquois, or dwellers in fortified vil- 
lages within the limit of the present State of Xew York, 
who were a terror to all those tribes who lived north 
of them. They were not only warriors of fierceness 
and bold endeavor, but were also tillers of the soil, liv- 
ing at ease and affluence when compared with the In- 
dians who fished, camped, and hunted game, near the 
waters of the blue St. Lawrence. 

About the middle of the mouth of May, Champlain 
set forth to paddle up the river, accompanied by a 
band of the Montagiuiis redskins. As he proceeded, he 
saw the lodges of an Indian encampment thickly clus- 
tered in the bordering forest, and, landing, found there 



SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 281 

his Huron and Algonquin allies. The red men were 
amazed to see a person with a white skin, and gathered 
about the steel-clad strangers (for he had several other 
Frenchmen with him) in astonished awe and admira- 
tion. 

" I would speak with your chieftain," said Cham- 
plain. 

The staring natives led him towards a great lodge 
where sat not one chief, but two, for each tribe had its 
own leader with them. Now there was much speech- 
making, feasting, and smoking of the peace pipes; 
then, all paddled down the river to Quebec, for the red- 
skins were anxious to view that town, the fame of 
which had been borne to them in their distant habita- 
tions of the forest. 

The native Canadians were much interested in the 
wooden houses built by the white men. They yelped in 
consternation at the explosions of the French guns, 
and the roar of the iron cannon. After they had ex- 
amined everything to their satisfaction, their camps 
were pitched, they bedecked themselves for the war 
dance, and, when night fell, leaped about, howling and 
singing in the yellow glare of a huge bon-fire. !N'ext 
morning they were ready for their expedition into the 
wilderness, where their enemies, the fierce Iroquois, 
had dragged unfortunate members of their tribe, who 
had fallen into their hands, to be beaten and tortured 
with horrible indignities. No wonder they longed to 
have these white men as their allies, so that they could 
revenge themselves upon their enemies. 

It was now the twenty-eighth day of May. The air 



282 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

was balmy, yet cool, so the expedition started under 
pleasant auspices. Entering a small sloop, the Sieur 
De Champlain pointed her nose up stream, and, ac- 
companied hy eleven companions, and surrounded by 
hundreds of redskins in birch bark canoes, set sail 
for the mouth of the Riviere de Iroquois, which con- 
nects the swirling waters of the St. Lawrence with that 
beautiful lake which was to subsequently bear the name 
of this venturesome explorer. The members of the 
famous war-party crossed the Lake of St. Peter, 
threaded the crooked channels among its many islands, 
and at length started down the winding stream towards 
the dreamy, gray expanse of the tempestuous lake, — 
afterwards to be known as Lake Champlain, — and the 
country of the Iroquois. 

As the canoes advanced, many of the warriors went 
ashore, and, spreading out, hunted for game in the 
leafy forests. A provision of parched corn had been 
brought along; but this was only to be used, when, ow- 
ing to the nearness of the enemy, no game could be 
secured. The river widened as they went on, and 
they passed great islands, many miles in extent, and 
finally debouched into the rocking waters of the glit- 
tering lake, which was ever afterwards to bear the name 
of this adventurous Frenchman. He, himself, was 
amazed, startled, pleased with this, his first view of the 
great body of water. To the left the forest ridges of 
the Green Mountains raised themselves against the 
blue horizon; while to the right, the Adirondacks 
stretched themselves above the swaying spruces and 
hemlocks, jutting above the woodland fringe in height 



SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 283 

quite equal to their sister bills across the wave-tossed 
water. 

But now they were in the country of the ferocious 
Iroquois. They must use caution in their advance, for 
they might be attacked at any moment. They changed 
their mode of travel, lay all day hidden in the depth of 
the forest, sleeping, lounging, smoking tobacco, while 
at twilight they again entered the canoes and paddled 
down the side of the lake until the flush of dawn began 
to redden the eastern skyline. At the very end of the 
water was a rocky promontory where Fort Ticonderoga 
was afterwards built, and this was their objective, their 
intention being to carry across into a small lake lying 
to the south (Lake George) and thence to paddle south- 
ward in search of hunting parties of the Iroquois, or of 
the more southern, but equally ferocious Mohawks. 
They even intended to carry their canoes to the upper 
reaches of the Hudson Eiver, should no enemies be met 
with, and thus penetrate into the very heart of the Mo- 
hawk country. They were to be spared this lengthy 
journey. 

At ten o'clock in the evening of the twenty-ninth day 
of July the flotilla approached the end of the wave- 
tossed lake, and, as the shadows descended, an advance 
scout saw dark objects in motion upon the water before 
them. They drew nearer, and, as paddles flashed to 
the straining arms of the braves, suddenly a wild, un- 
nerving war-whoop sounded above the splashing of the 
water. An Iroquois war-party was before thorn. 

The hostile warriors yelled derisively, and, turning 
about, paddled furiously for the shore, as they had no 



284 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

desire to engage in a hand-to-hand struggle upon the 
surface of the lake. They landed, rushed into the for- 
est, and soon the hack! hack! of their stone hatchets 
and iron axes, captured in warfare, showed that they 
were busily preparing a fortification. The Canadian 
redskins remained upon the lake, with canoes lashed 
together by means of poles, and, floating to within bow- 
shot of their enemies, yelled derisively at them. 

Night descended. Those upon the lake danced in 
the bottoms of their frail canoes, yelling derisively and 
singing songs of defiance. Those on shore hacked 
away at their fortifications, yelping dismally and boast- 
ing of their prowess in battle. Champlain slept un- 
easily, and, as day dawned, put on his breast and back 
plates, his steel thigh protectors, and upon his head 
his plumed casque. In his hand was his gun or arque- 
bus, loaded with four balls. An ammunition-box hung 
over one shoulder and a long sword was by his side. 
Thus he stood, respectfully gazed upon by his redskin 
allies, who took him for a sort of god, come from the 
Great Spirit in order to rescue them from their enemies 
and bring victory to their painted braves. 

Daylight soon came. With yells of defiance the al- 
lies now approached the shore, and, without opposition 
from the Iroquois, landed upon the beach, where they 
drew up in battle array. The Iroquois defiled from 
their barricade, and, as Champlain looked upon them, 
he saw that they were all tall, strong men, about two 
hundred in all, the fiercest and most able fighters of 
North America. In the center of the line were sev- 
eral chiefs, wlio had great headdresses of eagle and 



SAJVIUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 285 

heron plumes, and, as they advanced through the forest, 
all set up a vigorous yelping, similar to a pack of wolves 
in full cry. Some had shields of wood and of deerhide, 
others were covered with a kind of annor made of 
tough twigs interlaced together. Stealthily and stead- 
ily they bore down upon the northern host, while afar 
oif, on the roughened water of the lake, a blue and 
white loon screamed discordantly. 

The stout-hearted Sieur de Champlain stood in the 
rear of the Canadian redmen; but, as the Iroquois 
drew near, his friendly braves called loudly for him to 
come out in front in order to lead them on to the fray. 
The good knight was eager to do so. Yet, as he stood 
forth, with the sun gleaming upon his armor, the Iro- 
quois remained stock still and gazed at him in mute 
astonishment. The Frenchman leveled his arquebus 
at a gaudy chieftain, and fired. At the discharge, the 
red man leaped high into the air, uttered a gurgling yell, 
and fell prostrate upon the green moss. Bang! A 
second redskin lurched upon his face. Then arose a 
wild, alarming scream from his allies, and the air was 
filled with whizzing arrows. 

The Iroquois were no cowards and returned the barbs 
with some equally as good, but, as the gims of the other 
Frenchmen spoke, and nimaerous redskins fell to the 
earth in mortal agony, they saw that here was a death- 
dealing instrument which they had never met with 
before. This brought confusion to their ranks. They 
stood for a few moments, then broke and ran in un- 
controlled terror, while, with wonderful leaps and 
bounds, the allies started in pursuit. Many of the Iro- 



286 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

quois went to the Happy Hunting Grounds; but many 
others were captured; while camp, canoes, provisions 
and weapons were all abandoned. Terrorized and dis- 
mayed by Champlain and his arquebus, these denizens 
of the forest had been signally defeated. Thus the 
scientific knowledge of the white man triumphed over 
the ignorance of the Indian, and thus New France, for 
the first time, rushed into contact with the renowned 
warriors of the Five Nations. 

The allies held a three hour dance in commemoration 
of their victory, and when it was completed, they started 
homeward, first torturing the prisoners, and killing the 
majority of them. At the Falls of Chambly on the 
river Richelieu, the Hurons and Algonquins went their 
ways, and Champlain paddled down the St. Lawrence 
with the friendly Montagnais at the rate of seventy- 
five, to ninety miles, a day. At length he reached 
Tadoussac, where the wives and daughters of the red- 
skins gTceted them with a feast and w^r dance. All 
rejoiced at the signal victory over the hated Iroquois 
and sang and yelped in commemoration of the famous 
battle near the rocky promontory of far distant Crown 
Point. 

The adventurous Champlain had much enjoyed this 
little trip, yet, eager to report his explorations to the 
French King, he sailed for France, and, after a month's 
voyage, found himself at Fontainebleau. The King was 
much pleased with the news which was brought of 
happenings across the wide Atlantic. He also was de- 
lighted with a belt of porcupine quills, as a present 
from the Canadian wilds, with two skins of the scarlet 



SJaiUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 287 

tanager, and the poiuted skull of a gar fish, unknown in 
France and much appreciated. 

By Spring the daring voyager was again upon the 
ocean, headed for Tadoussac and the hills of the Laur- 
entian Mountains. The colony at Quebec had spent 
a good winter, and had not been visited with the scurvy, 
so he felt that France at last had her grip upon the 
ISTew World. 

As he went up the river he was met by his old friends, 
the Montagnais Indians, who were again upon the war- 
path. Would he join them ? Why, nothing suited his 
fancy better! He was soon to be in a battle more 
ferocious than that skirmish away off upon the bank of 
the great Lake Champlain. 

The redskins were encamped upon an island in the 
river, where they were to meet the Algonquins and pro- 
ceed against a band of Iroquois, who had come there 
from the south in order to have revenge for the slaugh- 
ter of the previous year. All were busy felling 
branches and trees for a barricade, when suddenly an 
Algonquin paddled up, crying, 

" Arm yourselves ! Get ready ! The Iroquois are 
not far away and have thrown up a fortification. If 
you do not attack them, they will attack you 1 " 

With a wild yelp of eager anticipation, the Mon- 
tagnais took to their canoes, paddled up the stream, 
leaped to the shore, and were soon running through the 
woods in the direction of the camp of the hated in- 
vaders. As for Champlain, and some Frenchmen 
whom he had with him, they could come along as best 
they might. This they did, and, as they advanced 



288 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

through the forest, they heard loud shouts and battle 
cries. The fight was on in earnest. 

The Sieur de Champlain, in armored breast plate 
and with greaves and arquebus, soon came into a 
clearing, where he viewed a strong, log fortification. 
Behind this, the Iroquois were raising an ear-splitting 
din. They were firing at the attacking party of Mon- 
tagnais and Algonquins, who were afraid to advance. 
The Frenchman soon saw how to bring the matter to a 
successful issue. 

" Here, my friends ! " said he to the redskins. 
" You must make a breach in yonder fort. As I and 
my companions shower bullets at a certain point, you 
must rush fon\'ard, must tear down the logs with this 
rope, then all can enter and put an end to these in- 
vaders." 

The Indians followed his advice. As the French- 
men advanced and commenced firing, the redskins 
rushed forward, tied ropes to the logs, and, wrenching 
them away, soon made a breach in the fortress. 
Champlain was hit in the ear by an arrow, but he tore 
it away, although it had buried itself in his neck, and 
continued the fight. As the redmen worked willingly, 
a fresh band of Frenchmen approached and began to 
fire upon the fort from the other side. They had come 
from a trading pinnace, which had followed Cham- 
plain's shallop, and, hearing the sound of gun-fire, 
had hurried forward in order to take part in the 
fray. 

Crash! The logs at last gave way. With a wild, 
discordant war-whoop, the allies rushed forward, 



SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 289 

brandishing their knives and tomahawks, and followed 
bj Champlain with his men. The Iroquois, fright- 
ened at the awful effect of the firearms, made but a 
slight resistance. Some were shot upon the spot, others 
ran and were killed at once, still others plunged into 
the St. Lawrence, where they were drowned, while 
fifteen were taken prisoners. Not one escaped the 
fury of the allied assault. It had been a second glori- 
ous victory. 

Champlain had no further battles with the redmen, 
at this time ; but, a few years later, made a journey up 
the Ottawa River which brought him in contact with 
many of them. This was then, of course, an unknown 
country, inhabited only by bands of Indians, who lived 
by fishing and by hunting. The Frenchman was the 
first white man to venture among the native Canadians, 
so you can well imagine what must have been their 
surprise and interest in viewing a warrior with a 
" stick which spoke with the voice of thunder." They 
marveled at his ability to travel up the river, which was 
rapid and treacherous, saying, " You must have fallen 
from the clouds as you are so far from the great river 
(St. Lawrence)." They gave him food, showed him 
their gardens, planted with Indian com, and sent him 
on to other Indian villages, with an escort. 

" We live here because we fear the Iroquois," said 
one chief. " But, if our white brothers will but settle 
upon the great, blue river to the south of us, so that 
we may be protected from these fierce warriors, we our- 
selves will come down there to live." 

After spending some time in exploring this wild and 



290 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

beautiful country, the adventurer erected a great cross, 
decorated with the arms of the King of France. 

" You must preserve this," he said to the savages, 
" for it belongs to my Great Father beyond the sea." 

Then, turning about, he began the journey to Mon- 
treal. It was June, the woods were radiant with the 
flush of new foliage, deer, moose, and beaver were seen 
in abundance, and even the lean, sneaking timber 
wolves howled at the interlopers. The trip down the 
Ottawa was swifter than the ascent and, about the mid- 
dle of June, the voyager arrived beneath the mountain 
of Montreal. He bought all the furs that he could 
from the Indians, and, after feasting with the French 
traders and dusky sons of the forest, embarked in one 
of the trading ships for France, promising to return 
on the following year. 

He did as he had said, and, addressing the redmen, 
told them that it was his aim to get them to live at 
peace with one another and to form a league which 
■would have as its object the extermination of the Iro- 
quois. Champlain had great ideas for New France. 
He wished to have the Indians as his allies and friends. 
French soldiers were to fight their battles for them. 
French traders were to supply their wants. French 
priests would baptize them and lead them in the ways 
of the true Christian faith. It was to be an alliance 
of soldier, priest, and trader. 

The Indians were well treated by the French ex- 
plorers, who were kinder than the English and far 
more hospitable. Champlain was anxious to gather 
twenty-five hundred of them so as to attack the Iro- 



SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 291 

quois. The redskins promised to collect at Montreal 
at a stated time, and, believing them, the great-hearted 
Frenchman traveled to Quebec for needed supplies. 
When he returned, he found, to his dismay and chagrin, 
a perfect solitude. The wild concourse of Algonquins, 
Ottawas, and Hurons had vanished, and nothing re- 
mained but the smoke of their fires, the skeleton poles 
of their tepees and the debris from their feasting. 
Impatient at the delay in waiting for him, they had 
set out for their villages. 

Nothing daimted, but greatly chagrined, Champlain 
determined to journey up the Ottawa to the land of the 
Hurons, of whom he had heard much, but had never 
seen. With two canoes, ten Indians, and two French- 
men, he therefore pushed up the stream, reached Lake 
Xipissiug, and, hearing that a still larger lake was 
beyond, pressed onward to the country of the Hurons. 
The scenery delighted him, for here were deep woods 
of pine and of cedar, thickets full of brown rabbits and 
partridges, wild grapes, plums, cherries, crab apples, 
nuts, and blackberries. 

The Hurons were soon met with ; noble-looking, well- 
fed savages, who took him to their tents, feasted him on 
com, pumpkins and fish, and welcomed him as the 
great hero who was to lead them successfully in battle 
against their hated enemies, the Iroquois. 

At leng-th many warriors had gathered, and, with 
many cries of defiance, they put boldly forth upon the 
broad bosom of Lake Ontario, crossed it safely, and 
landed near a bay called Hungiy Bay, within the bor- 
ders of the State of J^ew York. The canoes were hid- 



292 FAJVIOUS DISCOVERERS 

den in the woods, and the warriors walked single file 
for ten or twelve miles down the edge of the lake. 
Then they struck towards the south, and, threading a 
tortuous way through the forest, were soon deep within 
the country of the Iroquois: their deadly and hated 
enemies. 

It was the month of October, the month of the har- 
vest and the month of crisp, joyous days. The rustling 
leaves were just turning to gold and to crimson as the 
warriors crept onward upon their mission of death. 
On, on, they went, until they had approached a forti- 
fied town of the enemy, surrounded by plowed fields, 
in which were pumpkins and stalks of com. In ad- 
vance were some young Huron braves, whose zeal out- 
weighed their common sense. Seeing some Iroquois 
at work among their crops, they made a rush upon them, 
uttering a wild yell as they did so. 

The hot-headed Huron warriors had counted with- 
out their host, for, as they raced forward, the Iroquois 
seized their bows and arrows, shot into their midst, and 
killed and wounded a half dozen of the oncomers. The 
rest were driven back, hotly pursued. But Champlain 
and his Frenchmen stopped their onrush at the border 
of the wood, sending them yelping to their stockade, 
bearing their dead and wounded with them. 

The battle was a three hour affair. Truly the Iro- 
quois were noble fighters, for, in spite of an equality 
of numbers, they easily were the victors of the day, 
wounding Champlain in the knee with an arrow, while 
another pierced the calf of his leg. The Hurons, in 
fact, had a sufficiency of battle, and, withdrawing to 



SA^IUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 293 

I 

their camp, waited five days for a detaclimeiit of Al- 
gonquins which had promised to appear. They did 
not come, and, in frequent skirmishes with the Iroquois, 
the invaders were given all the fighting that they wished 
for. At length, disheartened, the Hurons retreated to 
the place where their canoes lay hidden, pursued by 
parties of the Iroquois, who shot great quantities of 
arrows at their retreating forms. They embarked, pad- 
dled across the lake, and were again in their o\vn coun- 

The Sieur De Champlain was not quite the hero 
which he had been before this affair, for he had not 
been found to be invulnerable. The man of iron breast- 
plate, fluttering pliunes, and " stick which spoke with 
the voice of thunder " was, after all, a common mor- 
tal. Some of the redmen even treated him disdain- 
fully, for they were angered at the reception which 
they had received. 

In spite of this, the French empire-builder spent the 
Winter with his redskinncd allies. When Spring 
came, he turned homeward, and, accompanied by an 
Indian chieftain, again paddled down the Ottawa, at 
length reaching Montreal, where he was welcomed as 
one risen from the dead. Launching his canoe, he 
journeyed to Quebec, where he received a royal wel- 
come. The chief was amazed at the houses, ships, and 
barracks, and, after admiring all that he saw, returned 
to his wigwam in the forest, bewildered and astonished 
at the possessions of these fair-skinned strangers. 

The rest of Champlain's life was troublous, indeed, 
and quite different from those venturesome experiences 



294 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

in the wilderness. lie bad dedicated himself to New 
Trance, he loved the gi-eat surging iSt. Lawrence River, 
the wooded hills, the glorious lakes, the hemlock for- 
ests, the spruce, the fir, and the wonderfully clear air. 
He craved the wild life among the redskins, the battles 
in the silent forest, the war-dance and the shrill yelp- 
ings of victory. He reveled in the woodland scents 
and sounds, the chatter of the moose-bird, the 
scream of the loon, the plaintive meow of the lynx, 
the grunt of the brown, bull moose, and the quavering 
wail of the great northern diver. His eye responded 
to the view of bogs, morasses, waterfalls and plunging 
rapids. He was — in fact — a lover of the beautiful 
in nature. In a period of unbridled license his was a 
spotless life, and, like the good Chevalier Bayard, he 
was a warrior without fear and without reproach. 

A British fleet, sailing up the St. Lawrence, found 
the little town of Quebec, which the good Chevalier had 
built, with a garrison of but sixteen, and these half 
famished. They were ordered to surrender, were cap- 
tured, were convoyed to their own country (each soldier 
with furs to the value of twenty crowns with him) and 
the cross of St. George of England was planted upon 
the crumbling walls of the citadel. Yet Champlain 
was again to return, for, by a treaty between France 
and England, at this time. New France was restored 
to the French cro^^Ti. The founder of this struggling 
colony reassumed command of Quebec in the following 
May. 

Two years now passed, years of pleasurable toil, 
among the Indians, for priests and soldiers of the 



SAJVIUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 295 

crown. A mission was established amongst the Hu- 
rons, a trading post at Three Rivers, and the authori- 
ties in France begged for troops with which to 
attack the vindictive Iroquois. But Cardinal Riche- 
lieu, who governed the destinies of the nation, had 
enough to do at home and cared little for the affairs 
of this far-distant wilderness colony. Harassed by 
anxieties, Champlain became more pious, grave and 
stem, as the years passed on. He had married, but his 
wife remained in Europe, where she became a nun ; so 
the bold explorer made his will, leaving all of his little 
property to the Church. 

Christmas day, 1635, was a bright day overhead, 
and the sun shone brilliantly upon the snow, but it was 
a dark day in the annals of Xew France. For in a 
chamber of the old fort at Quebec, breathless and cold, 
lay the hardy frame of the great explorer, the man of 
the sea, the wilderness, the palace, and the wigwam. 
The grave, the valiant Champlain was dead at the age 
of sixty-eight. His labors for his beloved New France 
were over and he had ceased to watch over the destinies 
of his struggling people. He was buried with a simple 
ceremony, which was attended by Jesuits, officers, sol- 
diers, traders, Indian braves, and the few settlers of 
the quaint, little town. A tomb was erected to his 
honor and his remains thus rested near the scenes of 
his explorations, his adventures, and his dreams of em- 
pire for his beloved country. 



THE SONG OF CHAMPLAIN 

This is the song which the loon sang, 

ISang as he swam on the glimmering lake. 

Sang to the splash and thud of the waves. 
As the hills reechoed his wild, laughing call. 

This is the song of Champlain! 

The day was bright, and the sun was warm, as I rocked 

on the waters I love, 
And the scent of the hemlocks blew fresh from the 

shore, and the coo of the gray, mourning dove. 
Afar down the lake came the voice of my mate, as he 

heard my laughing refrain, 
And we laughed at each other, like sister and brother, 

then dove, and laughed once again. 
But see, dowTi the lake comes a strange, thrilling sight, 

'tis a sight fit for gods to behold, 
A swarm of red warriors in birch bark canoes, their 

prows threading silver and gold. 
Algonquins and Hurous, Montagnais as well, bedaubed 

with yellow and red, 
While the plumes of the heron and eaglet wave forth, 

like flags from each clean-shaven head. 
In front of them all sits a warrior white, with breast- 
plate and greaves of hard steel ; 
As the paddles flash keenly, he gazes serenely, and 

smiles as the warriors wheel. 
296 



SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 297 

They wheel into line with yells and with cries, as an- 
other wild party draws near, 

From the southward they come, while the weird, moan- 
ing drmn booms forth a death-slogan clear. 

" The dread Iroquois ! The bad Iroquois ! " reechoes 
from stem and from stem, 

While loud, yelping cries ascend to the skies, as Algon- 
quius and fierce Hurous turn. 

They turn and they wheel, form in battle array; but 
the Iroquois dart to the shore, 

"^Tiere they rush to the forest to cut doA^Ti the trees, 
and hasten as never before. 

Night comes; as the smothering blackness creeps on, 
there are dances and songs on the lake. 

While on shore the deep drum makes a low, whining 
hum, e'en as branches and war-bonnets shake. 

Day breaks at last, and the shrill trumpet's blast — 
wakes the stillness in forest and glade, 

'Tis the dawning of death, for the grim specter's breath 
has blown o'er the host unafraid. 

The paddles dip deep, as the warriors sleek drive on- 
ward to white, gleaming sand. 

They leap to the beach, with arrows in reach, advance 
to the uprising laud. 

A yell of defiance is hurled at their heads, as the Iro- 
quois rush to the fray. 

Then the keen, whizzing barbs rush swift through the 
air; they advance in battle array. 

But, see, there steps forth a warrior white, — 'tis Cham- 
plain in casquet of steel, 

A sword by his side, in his hand a long gun, he sights 
as the Iroquois wheel. 



298 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

Crash! hang! and the bullet is speeding along, it 

reaches the breast of a chief, 
One despairing wail and the lean body, frail, has gone 

to the Kingdom of Grief. 
Ahah! what is this, for the Iroquois turn, they have 

met with their masters at-last. 
The warriors fierce, who can slaughter and burn, now 

wince at the steel bullet's blast. 
The Montagnais are yelping and dancing with glee, 

their enemies fear them at length. 
For many years past they have kept them in awe ; now 

they wince at the arquebus' strength. 
A wild melee now, and the green balsam bough, sways 

o'er the carnage of hate. 
And night shadows cover the rioting braves, the Iro- 
quois meet with their fate. 

See! the Ilurons, Algonquins, are paddling away, and 

northward they turn with a will, 
As war songs and yelpings ascend to the sky, of torture 

the braves have their fill, 
Calm and quiet there sits that warrior white, who has 

won them the stirring lake fight. 
And the breeze sighs, " Cham plain! " while the stirring 

refrain clarions forth like the wild eagle's flight. 

Tli'xs is the song which the loon sang. 
Sang as he sivam on the glimmering laJce, 
Sang to the splash and tliud of the ivaves. 
As the hills reechoed his loild, laughing call; 
This is the song of Champlmn! 



.WHISKEY JACK 
(Canadian Blue Jay) 

I was the first to see the redskin, I was the first to view 

Champlain ; 
Flitting in the hemlock branches, I flj South, then 

North again ; 
Up among the gray brown mountains, down amidst the 

soggy waste, 
I am ever on the lookout, never worry, never haste. 

Yes, I'm called old Whiskey Jack, gray and black, 

along my back. 
Beady eye and slender tail, I can spy out any trail. 
Old bull moose and caribou wink their eyes as I fly 

through, 
Yelling, cr^ang, " Chank ! chank ! chank ! " — 
Trappers call me " awful crank ! " 

Away up where the brook trout gather, away off by the 

blue St. John ; 
O'er broiling falls of foaming lather, where splashing 

jumps the muscallonge, 
Where otters mew and spruce grouse flutter, where 

brown bears dig the honey tree, 
That is where I spend the summer, where hunts the 

" sport " and half-breed Cree. 
900 



300 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

All men call me Whiskey Jack; I don't have to tote a 

pack; 
Beady eye and slender tail, I can spy out any trail, 
Old bull moose and caribou wink and blink as I fly 

through, 
Yelling, crying, '' Chank ! chank ! chank ! " — 
Trappers call me ^' awful crank! " 

I don't have to hunt for foodstuffs — no ! I fly right 

into camp. 
Seize a piece of bread and butter, grab a muffin — then 

decamp. 
Ha ! the trappers try to hit me ! Ho ! they throw their 

spoons and knives, 
But I dodge them by and chuckle, they can't hit me for 

their lives. 

So, I'm called old Whiskey Jack, nic« old Whiskey, — 

gray and black. 
I was here in Indian days, know their customs, know 

their ways, 
I was here when Marquette came, saw Quebec when it 

began, 
Saw the hemlock forests falling, lowered by the hand 

of man. 

Yes, I've seen some doings surely, seen the redskins 

on Champlain, 
Seen them fight on land and water, seen the bodies of 

the slain. 



SAIMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN 301 

Seen the waves of Lake George glisten, heard the yells 

on Richelieu, 
Heard the scalp dance, seen the torture, viewed the 

crackling flames, — '^A-hoo!" 

Yes, I'm just old Whiskey Jack, plain old blue jay, 

gray and black, 
Canadians know me, for I bring news of game and 

coming Spring, 
What's a woodland camp without me? what's a fire 

without my call ? 
True, I'm just a plain old ranger, but — Egad — I'm 

loved by all! 



HENRY HUDSON: 

DISCOVEREE OF HUDSOK BAY AISTD EX- 
PLORER OF THE MAGNIFICENT RIVER 
WHICH BEARS HIS NAME 

(15??-1611) 



" Oh ! See there, redskinned brother, where the wind- 
ing river 'parts. 

Where the shadows glance and glisten, where the silvery 
salmon darts. 

See that hulh approaching, — floating without a sound, 

With ivhite clouds riding up above and sides so dark 
and round. 

Come! Let ils paddle to it. Ha! See the pale- 
skinned men; 

They beckon, smiling on us. They must be friendly, 
then." 



HENRY HUDSON: 

DISCOVEKER OF HUDSOI^ BAY AND EX- 

PLOKER OF THE MAGNIFICENT RIVER 

WHICH BEARS HIS NAME 

(15??-1611) 

WE had been plowing along over the great At- 
lantic on a clear and starlit night. The 
Mduretania was as steady as a pier in the 
East River, so we were expecting no disaster, yet, when 
we tumbled from our cots upon the day following, we 
were startled to see that the great, steel hulk had ceased 
to move with her accustomed vigor. The resounding 
poom, poom, of her giant propeller-shaft was no longer 
heard, and she was only just drifting along through the 
gray-green waters. Every now and again her massive 
fog-whistle would roar out its leonine warning": 

" 0-o-o-o-o-m ! 0-o-o-o-o-m ! " 

We stumbled to the deck, only to be chilled and 
dampened by a shroud of mist, which had shut dow^l 
upon our steel-clad home like a giant pall. It curled, 
rolled and settled upon us as if it were a blanket satu- 
rated with dank sea-water; it cut off the view, so that 
one peered at the swishing ocean in vain; and it be- 
numbed one, so that one's voice was stifled and choked, 

305 



306 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

as if a huge overpowering hand were grasping at one's 
throat. And even from above came that soul-deaden- 
ing roar of the steam siren: 

" 0-o-o-o-o-m ! 0-o-o-o-o-m ! " 

In the blinding mist I bimiped into a sailor. 

" Avast there, my lad," said he. " Can't you get 
your sea legs ? " 

" No," I replied. " Where are we ? " 

" Off the banks." 

"And the fog?" 

" Usual thing. She'll bum off in a couple of hours. 
We have to go easy because of the Gloucester fishing 
fleet Hear them ! " 

Indistinctly, in the murky pall, I seemed to hear the 
thin whining of numberless, tin fish-horns. 

" Pretty weak fog-whistles, aren't they ? " 

I laughed. 

But just then something happened. 

The mist seemed to part as if rent by a strong and 
virile hand. We could see the great, combing, green 
billows go careening and bobbing by, as the cloud-bank 
shifted like a veil, and there, tossing restlessly on the 
waves, was a long, brown boat ! A number of men were 
in her, all huddled together in a heap. They were 
dressed in old-fashioned garments and their faces were 
drawn, haggard, pinched. In the stern sat a bearded 
man holding fast to the tiller, at his feet lay a slender 
youth. 

The vision lasted but for a moment or two and then 
the fog-bank rolled in again, hiding the picture from 
our startled, yet eager visions. 



HENRY HUDSON 307 

" Who are tbey ? " asked I, breathlessly, as the sailor 
lurched against my side. 

" Henry Hudson and his crew," he answered, with a 
hoarse chuckle. 

And as I stumbled below, I thought that perhaps the 
weather-beaten sea-dog might be correct. 

If you had happened to be sitting upon the beach of 
Manhattan Island, near the spot where is now the Bat- 
tery, upon the eleventh day of September, 1609, you 
would have seen a curiously shaped vessel floating, 
lazing, along near the shore, and you would have also 
seen a number of weather-scarred navigators who were 
anxiously peering at the beach. The name of this boat, 
with a high poop and a curving prow, was the Half 
Moon, and her captain was Henry Hudson, or Hendrick 
Hudson, as he is sometimes called. 

He was not only pleased, but also interested to see a 
land where was a goodly lot of timber, lovely islands 
and broad harbors, pearly beaches and dusky-bodied in- 
habitants, who seemed to be peacefully inclined. 

And who was this fellow Henry, who had dared to 
come to explore that island of Manhattan, where the 
mighty Woolworth Building was to rise up in all its 
splendor, as if to laugh at the former simplicity and 
quiet of the brush-covered strip of sandy soil ? 

Of the early history of the bold mariner hardly any- 
thing is kno\ra. He was a native of England, a con- 
temporary and friend of the famous Captain John 
Smith, the settler of Virginia, and, like him, was a pro- 
fessional navigator and intrepid adventurer. He re- 



308 FAMOUS DISCOVEKERS 

sided in London, was married, and had a son, to whom 
he was devotedly attached. 

When Hudson was living in London, there were a 
great many merchants there who were anxious to learn 
of a northern and westward route to the East Indies, 
from which they imported teas, spices, and many other 
articles. The commerce of this country was now 
brought partly over laud and then floated through the 
Mediterranean Sea. It was a slow and laborious route 
for trade, so those nations farthest removed from the 
advantages of that route (such as Spain, Portugal, and 
England), became restless, and most desirous of finding 
a new and a shorter passage to the East Indies. 

In the year 1499, a celebrated Portuguese navigator, 
called Vasca de Gama, had doubled the Cape of Good 
Hope, and, passing onward, had appeared upon the 
coast of Hindustan. He had brought back word of the 
southern route, but it was such a long and dangerous 
passage, that the nations of Europe were not satisfied 
with it. They desired a shorter highway to the wealth 
of the East, and began to think that they might find it 
by sailing through the Arctic Ocean, and, passing north- 
westwardly around the coast of North iVmerica, might 
journey around the shore of Asia to the Indies with 
their marvelous wealth. 

A number of rich men who lived in the city of Lon- 
don joined themselves together as a London Company 
in the year 1607, and raised suflBcient money to pur- 
chase a ship and supply it with provisions for a journey 
to the northwest. Knowing that everything depended 
upon the skill of the commander, they chose, as their 



HENRY HUDSON 309 

leader, Henry Hudson, who readily accepted the posi- 
tion. 

Upon a bright day in April, the Captain and crew 
went to the church of Saint Ethelburge in Bishopsgate 
Street, and there received the sacrament of the Lord's 
Supper. There were eleven seamen in all, among whom 
was John Hudson, son of the daring sea captain. It 
was a pious and beautiful custom of those ancient times 
for seamen to thus act before entrusting themselves to 
the mercy of the seas, where they were to meet with 
unknown perils. 

Strange as it may seem to us now, the object of this 
voyage was to find a passage directly across the North 
Pole to Japan and China. Imagine these brave fellows 
setting out in one of the small vessels of those days to 
sail to the Pole ! It seems absurd, for, even with a ves- 
sel specially constructed to meet the ice packs, Commo- 
dore Peary had great difficulty in keeping his vessel, the 
Roosevelt, from being crushed. Yet, with their flimsy 
craft, these adventurers started out in quest of the much- 
desired North West passage. 

On May 1st. 1607, the navigators weighed anchor at 
Gravesend, and, taking a northerly course, in twenty- 
six days reached the Shetland Isles. Leaving these 
wild, rocky shores behind them, they now steered north- 
west, and, in a week's time, although they discovered 
no land, they had the satisfaction of seeing six or seven 
whales near the ship. Two days later, at 2 o'clock 
upon a foggy morning, land was seen ahead of them. 
It was high, covered with snow, and, at the top, it 
looked reddish ; underneath a blackish color, with much 



310 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

ice lying about. There were also great quantities of 
ducks and other wild-fowl along the coast, and a whale 
spouted near the shore. This was the peninsula of 
Greenland. 

Thick fogs now shut down upon the mariners, accom- 
panied by storms of rain and of snow. The vessel was 
sometimes driven before a heavy gale of wind ; at other 
times becalmed. Yet, in spite of this, Hudson still 
held on in a northeasterly course, hoping to sail around 
the land in front of him and thus to reach the passage 
across the Xorth Pole. At last, discouraged at his 
slow progress, he determined to steer in an easterly di- 
rection, hoping to find an island which was called New- 
land upon the charts. 

After sailing about sixteen miles, the ship came 
within sight of land and many birds were seen flying 
over it with black and white stomachs, and in form 
like a duck. Fogs again set in and much floating ice 
was encountered, yet the vessel was headed onward in 
a northeasterly direction. Land was seen at different 
intervals and the weather was both temperate and pleas- 
ant. So, again steering eastward, the ship struggled 
on against hard winds and heavy fogs until it had 
reached the coast of Spitzbergen. 

Great numbers of whales were playing around in a 
bay which they ran into, and, while one of the men was 
amusing himself with a hook and a line overboard, in 
order to try for a bite, one of the monster fish dove under 
the vessel and caught upon his line. All the sailors 
feared that they would be upset, but the big, black fellow 
made off without doing tliem any serious damage. 



HENRY HUDSON 311 

" By God's mercy," says Hudsou, in his diary, *' we 
had no harm but the loss of the hook and three parta 
of the line." 

After sailing along the coast for some time, again the 
mariner headed for Greenland, hoping to steer around 
it, towards the north, and then return to England. 
But fogs, storms, and floating ice interfered with his 
journey, to such an extent, that he was forced to turn 
around and head for the place from which he had 
started. 

Thus, after a hard voyage of four months and a half, 
he sailed up the river Thames, beaten in his effort to 
find the Xorth West passage, yet with the news of many 
lands which no Englishman had yet seen. His employ- 
ers greeted him warmly and were sufficiently well 
pleased with his success to trust him with a second ad- 
venture, for he had been farther north than any navi- 
gator who had preceded him, and had opened the com- 
merce of the whale fishery to his countrymen. He was 
also the re-discoverer of Spitzbergen, which had first 
been seen by one William Barentz, a Dutch navigator, 
in the year 1506. 

Spring had no sooner opened, in the year follow^ng, 
than Hudson commenced making his preparations for 
a second voyage. This time he was to endeavor to seek 
the passage for the East Indies by passing between 
Spitzbergen and Xova Zembla. Thus, with a crew of 
fifteen persons, and his son John, he set sail from Lon- 
don on the twenty-second day of April, heading north, 
where lay the region of ice and snow. 

At one time the vessel would meet large quantities 



312 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

of drift-wood driving by in a confused mass ; then large 
numbers of whales and porpoises would be met with, 
and the sea would be covered with multitudes of birds. 
Then again the mariners would come across numbers 
of seals lying about upon cakes of ice, and polar bears 
would lumber away over the gliateiiing ice-pack. Two 
of the sailors, also, said that they saw a mermaid close 
to the side of the ship, but a big wave came along and 
overturned her. As she went down into the surging 
brine they saw her tail, which was similar to the tail 
of a porpoise, and was speckled like a mackerel. 

After sighting land, and exploring numberless bays 
and harbors, Hudson finally reached a great sound, into 
which emptied a stream. The vessel was anchored, and 
five men were sent forward in a boat to explore this 
river, in order to see whether or not the water-course 
dipped to the south and led to a passage through to 
Asia. But the water became very shallow, as the ex- 
plorers proceeded, so they came back and reported that 
the vessel could not venture farther upon its way. As 
the pro%T[sions were now getting somewhat low, Hud- 
son decided to steer for England. This he did, enter- 
ing the peaceful Thames, after an absence of about four 
months. He was not received with the same cordiality 
which had greeted him after his first voyage. His em- 
ployers had grown discouraged by these two unsuccess- 
ful attempts to find a shorter route to Asia. 

The members of the London Company, in fact, re- 
fused to lend any more money or supplies to Mr. Henry 
Hudson, so that gallant gentleman took a jaunt to Hol- 
land in order to offer his 8er\'ices to the Dutch East 



HENRY HUDSON 313 

India Company. His fame had preceded him, and he 
was greeted with cordial respect. A small ship was 
given to him called the Half Moon, and he was re- 
quested to go forth once more and discover the North 
West passage, upon which his heart was set. With a 
crew consisting of twenty Englishmen and Dutchmen, 
among whom was the same mate who had served with 
him upon his last voyage, he was now ready to brave 
again the ice and storms of the Arctic seas. 

Upon March the 25th., the experienced navigator 
left Xew Amsterdam, and was ere long upon the coast 
of Xova Zembla, when he met with so much ice and 
fog, that he gave up any hope of reaching India by this 
route. 

But Hudson was made of no common clay, and, al- 
though beaten by the elements, which denied him a 
northern route, determined to sail to America, that land 
about which every one in Europe was hearing such 
wonderful stories. Furthermore, he had with him 
some maps which had been given him by his old friend. 
Captain John Smith, on which a strait was marked, 
south of the fair land of Virginia, by which he might 
reach the Pacific Ocean and the East Indies. Then, 
too, he might gain a passage through to the northwest, 
by means of Davis Strait. Why not ? He asked his 
crew about it, and they voted, to a man, to sail west- 
ward. Many of these bronzed sea-dogs had been trained 
in the East Indies service, were accustomed to sailing 
in warm, tropical climates, and therefore chose to sail 
south, rather than to meet the fog, the ice, and the chill 
tempests of the northern seas. 



314 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

Heading towards the West, the Half Moon soon 
reached one of the Faroe Ishuids, where the casks were 
tilled with fresh water, and then the sails were again 
hoisted, and a course was set towards Newfoundland. 
Early in July the Grand Banks were reached, where was 
a great fleet of French fishing smacks, which had come 
this great distance in order to catch cod and haddock. 
As the Half Moon was now becalmed for several days, 
the crew was sent to the banks to try their luck, and, in 
one day, one hundred and thirty cod-fish were captured. 
The wind now freshened, so the mariners sailed to- 
wards the west. They soon cleared the banks, passed 
the shore of Xova Scotia, and, on the morning of the 
12th, saw the coast of Xortli America before them. 
Clouded by fog banks, but brown, rock-ribbed, pine- 
clad, lay the wonderful country which was inhabited 
by the deer, the beaver, the moose, and the red Indian. 

The Half Moon careened along for several days at 
some distance from the land, as the fog was so thick, 
that Hudson feared to approach. Finally the sun 
burned through the mist and the mariners ran into a 
goodly harbor at the mouth of a large river. It was 
Penobscot Bay, upon the coast of Maine, as beautiful 
then as it is now. 

As the ship was lying-to off the harbor, unable to 
enter because of the fog, two birch-bark canoes had ap- 
proached them, with six natives of the country, who 
seemed delighted to see the mariners. Captain Hud- 
son gave them some glass beads and other trinkets, — 
then they ate and drank with him. One of the natives 
could speak a little French and told them that the 



HENRY HUDSON 315 

French people were in the habit of trading with them, 
and that they had gold, copper, and silver mines near by. 

When the Half Moon entered Penobscot Bay, great 
numbers of the redskins paddled out to the vessel, 
climbed on board, and eagerly gazed upon the sailors, 
as they mended the sails and made a new foremast. 
Some of the mariners went ashore to get a needed sup- 
ply of water, while others amused themselves by catch- 
ing lobsters, — not in a lobster-pot, you may be sure, 
but in a small net baited with fish. 

Hudson's men seemed to have had a foolish distrust 
of the redskins. The Indians were friendly and wished 
to trade beaver-pelts and fine furs for hatchets, beads, 
and knives; yet the mariners were so suspicious that 
they kept a strict watch upon the ship in order to see 
that no natives approached under cover of the dark- 
ness. At last, their mast being ready, these navigators 
manned a boat with tw^elve men armed with muskets, 
and, landing upon the shore, made a savage attack upon 
the peaceful red men, whom they drove from their 
houses. It is to the disgrace of Hudson that he al- 
lowed this to happen, the only excuse that can be of- 
fered being that he had under his conmaand a wdld and 
ungovernable lot of uneducated Dutch and Englishmen. 

Having perpetrated this act of cruelty, the adven- 
turers set sail, steering southward along the coast of 
America, and, in a short time came within sight of 
Cape Cod. They sounded and found the water quite 
deep within bow-shot of the shore, and, proceeding to 
the land, discovered grapes and rose-trees, which they 
brought on board their ship. The Half Moon was now 



316 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

sailed towards the shore and was anchored there. Here 
Hudson heard voices calling to him from the beach, 
and, thinking that they might bo the cries of some poor 
sailors who had been left behind, he immediately sent 
a part of the crew in a boat to land. Upon jumping 
out upon the sand, it was found that the calls had been 
made by Indians, who appeared to be greatly rejoiced 
to see them. The men returned to the ship, bringing 
one of the natives on board with them, whom they fed, 
presented with a few glass buttons, and then put ashore 
in the boat. When the redskin reached the land, he 
gave every manifestation of great joy, by dancing, 
leaping, and throwing up his hands. Then letting out 
a wild and uncouth yell, he disappeared into the brush. 

Amused and interested, Hudson now steered south- 
east, and soon passed the southern point of Cape Cod, 
which he knew to be the headland which Bartholomew 
Gosnold had discovered in 1602, seven years before. 
He sailed by Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard and 
kept upon his course due south, imtil, upon the 18th. 
day of August, he found himself at the entrance of 
Chesapeake Bay, where, two years before, the first Eng- 
lish settlement had been made in America. Hudson 
was filled with great admiration for these broad waters, 
and, keeping on, reached the thii*ty-fifth degree of lati- 
tude, or a position which made him certain that there 
was no passage to the South Pacific Ocean, as John 
Smith had said. So, retracing his course, he passed 
the shores of Maryland and discovered the great bay of 
Delaware. 

" It is a good land to fall in with, and is a pleasant 



HENRY HUDSON 317 

land to see/' writes Hudson in his diary, transcribed 
as the Half Moon was sailing off the shore of Long 
Branch, New Jersey. The weather was dark and 
misty, so, sending some men in-shore in order to find 
out the depth of the water, the vessel was headed inland, 
and, upon the morning of September third, was an- 
chored within Sandy Hook, in five fathoms of water. 
The next morning, this bold navigator saw that there 
was " good anchorage and a safe harbor," so he steered 
his little vessel within the bay of Sandy Hook, at a 
distance of two cable lengths from the shore, resting in 
the famous harbor of New York. 

Could Henry Hudson have looked forward through 
the years and have seen the city of tall buildings, 
wharves, cobbled streets and rolling elevated-trains 
which was to cover the island of Manhattan, then lying 
tranquilly before his gaze, he M'ould doubtless have 
passed a night of restless nightmare. But he had no 
forward vision, and, as he feasted his eyes upon a long 
beach of white sand, behind which were low scrubby 
bushes, plmn trees, grape vines, and twisted oaks, he 
peacefully smoked a long pipe which an Indian brave 
had given him, and dreamed of discovering a passage to 
Asia. 

The ship lay drowsily at anchor, and, as it swung 
upon its chain, many redskins came paddling out from 
the shore, clambered on board, and seemed to be de- 
lighted to see these strange visitors. They were dressed 
in well-cured deer-skins, which hung loosely over their 
shoulders, and had many ornaments of copper scattered 
upon their persons. They brought ears of com with 



318 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

them and also tobacco, which they wished to exchange 
for beads, for knives, and for other trinkets. The 
sailors had much fun in bartering with them and in 
smoking their stone pipes. 

The ship rode snugly at anchor, but during the night 
a gale sprang up, which was of such fury, that the an- 
clior dragged, and the Half Moon was soon high and 
dry upon the Jersey beach. But she was not even 
strained, as the bottom was " soft and oozy," and when 
flood-tide came along she was easily towed into deep 
water. Yet, this was of great interest to the native in- 
habitants, who crowded eagerly to the shore: men, 
women and children. They were also very kind, giv- 
ing the sailors presents of dried currants and green to- 
bacco. Notwithstanding this, the mariners suspected 
them of treachery and kept continually upon their 
guard. 

Henry Hudson saw that a large river emptied into 
this bay, where lay the Half Moon, so he sent five men 
in order to explore and discover how far he could go. 
They passed through what is now kno\\Ti as the !N^ar- 
rows, found the land to be covered with trees, grass, 
and flowers, the fragrance of which was delightful, and, 
after going six miles into New York Bay, turned back. 
Now an unhappy event was to occur, yet one which 
showed that the distrust of the natives was a well- 
founded prejudice. 

The boat was being driven along toward the ship, 
just at dusk, when it was attacked by two canoes con- 
taining twenty-six redskinned warriors of old-time New 
York. Rain was falling, so it was impossible to use 



HENRY HUDSON 319 

the ancient muskets, or match-locks, which were touched 
off by means of a lighted fuse. The white men could 
therefore make no defense and rowed off as fast as they 
could, while a shower of Indian arrows fell into the 
boat, striking three of the explorers in the body. One 
of them, John Colman, was killed by an arrow which 
struck him in the neck. He had been with Hudson in 
his first voyage and was greatly loved by the brave and 
resolute navigator. 

In this, the first boat race in New York harbor be- 
tween the redskins and the whites, the white men were 
victorious, for they escaped into the darkness and wan- 
dered around all night. In the dim gray of the early 
morn they found the ship ; climbed thankfully on board, 
and told of their experience with some show of anxiety, 
for they feared a general attack from the red men. 
None came, however, and the dead body of Colman was 
taken ashore at Sandy Hook, where it was buried in the 
soil at a place called Colman's Point. 

Just as soon as the burying party had returned to 
the ship, the boat was hoisted in, and bulwarks were 
erected upon the sides in order to repel the expected 
Indian attack. But none came. The night was quiet, 
only the lapping of the water around the ship's bow 
could be heard, and, when day dawned, numerous red- 
skins paddled out to the vessel in the most friendly man- 
ner, bringing corn and tobacco to trade with the sailors. 
From their actions, it appeared that they knew nothing 
of the battle upon the previous day, and they left in 
good IniriKir, promising to return next morning with 
more provisions and many beaver-skins for trade. 



320 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

In the flush of the early dawn, two large canoes came 
off to the Half Moon, one filled with men armed with 
bows and arrows, who seemed to be in war paint. Hud- 
son was suspicious of treachery, so only allowed two of 
the braves to come on board, whom he dressed up in red 
coats. The remaining savages returned to the shore, 
and presently another canoe approached in which were 
two lone warriors. One of them was allowed to come 
on deck, Hudson intending to keep him as a hostage to 
insure the good behavior of his fellow citizens on the 
Isle of Manhattan. 

The redskins, however, did not seem to like their 
fair-skinned brothers, and one immediately dove into 
the sea and swam hastily ashore. Expecting an imme- 
diate attack, Hudson weighed anchor and floated the 
Half Moon off into the channel of the Xarrows, where 
he again anchored for the night. He expected an as- 
sault, but none came, so he set sail, next morning, for 
the Bay of New York, which he says that he found to 
be '^ an excellent harbor for all winds." He again an- 
chored, and the Half Moon was soon surrounded by the 
Indians, who were apparently friendly " making a great 
show of love, and giving tobacco and Indian wheat." 
The navigators, however, were afraid of an attack and 
kept continually upon their guard, yet the red men de- 
parted to the shore, and all was peace and quiet, save 
for the mewing of the sea gulls and the squawking of a 
great blue heron, as he winged his way to the inland 
marshes. 

The dreamy haze of September hung over the swirl- 
ing, blue river as Henry Hudson gazed up the stream 



HENRY HUDSON 321 

which was to ever aftenvards bear his name, and, upon 
the morning of the twelfth, he weighed anchor, and 
steered towards the northwest. Twenty-eight canoes 
had visited him that morning, filled with redskinned 
men, women and children, who had brought oysters and 
clams to trade for blue beads and glass trinkets. The 
braves smoked gTcat tobacco pipes of yellow color and 
their cheeks were smeared with red ochre, so that the 
mariners were suspicious of them, and, although they 
traded with them, allowed none to come upon the deck. 

The wind was unpropitious, so the Half Moon only 
sailed about two leagues, when it anchored for the 
night. Yet, next day, the wind was fresher, so the 
vessel proceeded to travel about eleven miles, until it 
came opposite the present town of Yonkers, where the 
anchor was again let down. The redskins immediately 
crowded around the boat, but none were allowed to come 
on board, as the navigators feared treachery. 

The weather continued to be fair, so the Half Moon 
proceeded upon her way, and, driven by a strong breeze, 
finally anchored in a region where the land was very 
high and mountainous, evidently the neighborhood of 
the Highlands and near the present site of the West 
Point Military Academy. No cries of " Battalion, At- 
tention ! " " Squads, Eight ! " or " Forward, March ! " 
then echoed from the peaceful shore; instead of this, 
the mariners heard the hooting of a great, brown owl, 
while far off upon the mountain-side glimmered the 
camp-fire of a straggling band of Indians. As night 
descended upon the wilderness, the scream of a pan- 
ther reverberated from the dense foliage of the high 



322 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

bills, which were beautiful with the first changing col- 
ors of autumn. The stream was narrowing, instead of 
expanding, so, thought Hudson, could it be possible 
that, after all, there was no passage to the East Indies ? 

A filmy mist bung over the rippling waters of the 
stream, next morning, but as the sun shone, a clear wind 
arose which seemed to blow it away. As Hudson gave 
orders to his men to haul up the anchor, a sudden splash 
near the vessel's side made him run to the gunwale 
and look eagerly into the water, expecting to see a small 
whale, or a porpoise. Instead, the head of a redskin 
bobbed up in the ripples of the stream, as with furious 
strokes, one of the braves who had been held prisoner, 
swam towards the shore. Another head appeared. 
The two red men, who had been held as hostages, had 
escaped through the port hole. 

The Indians soon reached the banks of the stream, 
climbed out, and standing there with clenched fists, 
shook them vindictively at the white men, making loud 
and angry cries. Not at all worried at the happening, 
Hudson kept on up the now narrowing river, passed 
by high mountains upon either side, and finally came 
in sight of other mountains, about fifty miles from his 
former anchorage. Here the redskins came out to view 
the curious vessel, and, says Hudson in his journal, 
they were " very loving people and very old men, who 
treated us very kindly.'' The anchor was cast and a 
boat was sent off with sailors to catch fish, of which 
there was a great abundance. 

Going ashore, next day, the brave navigator there met 
on old chieftiiin who lived in a circular house and was 



HENRY HUDSON 323 

surroiiiided bv forty men and seventeen women. The 
aged redskiu was hospitably inclined and begged the 
white man to come and feast with him, an invitation 
which Hudson readily accepted. Two mats were im- 
mediately spread for him to sit upon and food was 
bronffht forward in large, red bowls made of wood. 
Several natives were meantime dispatched into the 
woods in search of game. 

After awhile the braves returned with a pair of 
pigeons which were roasted upon the lire. A feast was 
now held, consisting of corn, beans, pigeon and fat 
dog, after which Hudson was requested to spend the 
night. " I must return," said the mariner, but this 
seemed to worry the chief redskin, so that his people 
took all of their arrows, and, breaking them in pieces, 
threw them into the fire, as tliey supposed that the ex- 
plorer was afraid of them. However, Hudson would 
not remain in the wigwam, preferring to sleep among 
his own compatriots. 

After trading with the red men, who brought Indian 
corn, pumpkins and tobacco to the ship, the Half Moon 
was again steered up-stream, until the water was found 
to be very shoal. This was probably near the spot 
where the city of Hudson has gro\vn up. The weather 
was warm and enervating, but the vessel was kept upon 
her course until she reached several small islands in the 
middle of the river, and also very shallow water, which 
made it impossible to proceed. As night came on, the 
vessel drifted near the shore and grounded. But she 
was floated off by means of an anchor, and again lay 
peacefully in the stream. 



324 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

Hudson had now proceeded about as far as he could 
go, and saw that it was impossible to reach the East 
Indies by way of the winding water-course upon which 
his vessel lay. His men who had been sent up-stream 
to explore, in the small boat, brought back word that 
there was nothing but still shallower water above. So 
it was apparent that the vessel must return to the sea 
again, and another passage must be sought for. Yet, 
before he returned, he determined to make an experi- 
ment with some of these many Indians who were crowd- 
ing about his vessel, in order to learn if they were really 
treacherous, or were peacefully inclined. This experi- 
ment was to be by means of the famous Holland gin, or 
" fire water " of the white men, and it was decided to 
place some of the red men under its influence. 

Xext day, several of the Indian braves were invited 
down to the broad cabin of the Half Moon, where gin 
and brandy was given them, until they were all as merry 
as a marriage bell. 

Their squaws looked innocently on as their lords and 
masters betook plentifully of the cup that cheers, and 
saw all of them become, first merry, then boisterous, 
then drowsy. Finally one Indian brave became so 
deeply intoxicated that he fell asleep upon a bench, 
snoring with right good will. AU of his companions 
now arose in great fright, for they feared that he was 
poisoned. Taking to their canoes, they cried out with 
some show of anger : " You pale faces have sent our 
brother to the Land of the Great Spirit. Ugh ! Ugh ! 
You have poisoned him I *' They did not, however, for- 
get their poor companion, and several soon returned, 



HENRY HUDSON 325 

bringing with tliem long strings of beads which they 
offered to Hudson, saying: '' Take these, brother, and 
let us have our miserable friend. He has gone to the 
Land of the Hereafter ! " But the mariner declined, 
answering : 

" Let your brother sleep. He is safe with us and 
will get well. The Great Spirit is watching over him 
and you need fear nothing." 

The redskin slept peacefully all night, and, when his 
frightened countr^Tuen came out to see him, next day, 
they were rejoiced to find him alive and smiling. Cry- 
ing out, " Ugh I L"gh ! The white man was right. 
The Great Spirit has looked carefully after our 
brother," the red men paddled him joyfully to the shore, 
but soon returned, bringing beads and tobacco, which 
they gave to Hudson. They also presented him with a 
large platter of venison. " Pray take this, brother," 
said a bronze-skinned chieftain. " We love our brother, 
for he has let no harm come to our beloved friend who 
has loved the fire water far too well. Ugh ! Ugh ! " 

Disappointed in not finding the passage to the far 
East, Hudson now prepared to return. But how far 
had he gone ? Writers seem to disagree upon this 
point, yet, when one considers that the Half Moon was 
a small boat, not as large as many of the stone sloops 
which now sail in the North River, it is reasonable to 
suppose that it went up the Hudson to a place about in 
the neighborhood of where Albany now stands, while 
the boat which was sent on ahead to explore the stream, 
advanced as far as the town of Waterford. 

It was now the twenty-seventh day of September, the 



326 FAMOUS DISCOVEREES 

weather was balmy, and the leaves of the forest were 
turning with the first chill of Autumn. The Half 
Moon drifted slowly down the broadening river, pass- 
ing the home of the hospitable, old chieftain, near 
Catskill's Landing. The redskin came out in his 
canoe, begging Hudson to come ashore and eat with 
him; but the wind was too fresh for the navigator to 
listen to his invitation, so the boat kept on down-stream, 
leaving the old chief " very sorrowful for their de- 
parture." Toward night the vessel anchored near what 
is now known as Red Hook Landing, where the sailors 
had splendid fishing in the blue depths of the magnifi- 
cent water-course. 

Now, detained for a day by head winds, the ship 
dropped slowly down the river, passing the famous 
highlands of the Hudson where the mountains looked 
as if there were some metal, or mineral in them. 
" The hills seemed to be all blasted, some of them bar- 
ren with few or no trees on them." The Indians still 
crowded around the boat, several of them bringing a 
stone on board which was like emery, for it would cut 
iron or steel. On the 1st day of October, with a fair 
wind behind, the Half Moon sailed through the high- 
lauds, and, reaching a point opposite Stony point, was 
becalmed, and cast anchor. 

Ko sooner had the pronged holding-iron touched bot- 
tom than the redskins came crowding around, aston- 
ished at everything they saw, and desirous of trade. 
They offered pumpkins, beaver skins, and dried plums 
for exchange, but apparently could not procure all that 
they wished, for one fellow was prompted to steal. 



HENRY HUDSON 327 

Paddling his birch bark canoe near the stern of the 
Half Moon, ho crawled np the nidder into the cabin 
window and made off with a pillow and some clothes. 
Jumping stealthily into his canoe, he paddled away as 
fast as he w^as able, but was seen by the Mate, who shot 
and killed him. As he dropped lifeless into the stern 
of his canoe, the remaining red men fled in terror, some 
even leaping overboard to swim for it. Meanwhile the 
ship's boat was manned and a number of sailors were 
sent to rescue the stolen articles, which were easily ob- 
tained. As the boat headed for the Half Moon, one of 
the swimming redskins took hold of the stern and en- 
deavored to overturn her. When he did this, the cook 
drew a sword, and, making a vicious blow at him, cut 
off his hand. Shrieking with pain, the poor creature 
sank to the bottom, never to rise again. The sailors 
hastened their rowing, were soon on board the ship, and, 
fearing an attack, hoisted sail in order to drop down 
the stream to the mouth of the Croton Eiver. 

The next day w-as a clear one, with a fair wind, so 
the Half Moon sailed twenty-one miles to a position 
somewhere near the head of Manhattan Island, where 
there was quite a deal of trouble in store for these 
valiant navigators. As you remember, on the way up 
the stream, Hudson had held two red men captive, who 
had escaped through the porthole. These had returned 
to their fellows, angry and indignant at their captivity, 
and had raised their compatriots to a revengeful spirit 
against these white interlopers. The warriors had as- 
sembled along the shores of the river, and, as the Half 
Moon approached, a canoe ncared the vessel, in which 



328 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

was one of those who had escaped, and many others, 
armed with bows and with arrows. Although they at- 
tempted to come on board, the wise Uudson would not 
allow this to be done. Showing anger by their gesticu- 
lations, the redskins withdrew, but presently two canoes 
filled with armed warriors dropped under the stem and 
began to attack the vessel by showering arrows at her. 
The mariners fired six muskets at the red men and three 
of them fell dead in the bottom of their birch-bark 
canoes. 

The Indians who were on the shore, and had been 
keeping a keen watch upon the affair, now moved down 
to the beach in a solid body (there were about one hun- 
dred in all) and shot arrows at the ship, as she floated 
by. A cannon was now loaded with ball and was dis- 
charged among them, whereby two of them fell mor- 
tally woimded. The remainder fled into the woods, 
with the exception of nine or ten desperate men, who, 
resolved upon revenge, jumped into a canoe and ad- 
vanced to fight the ship at close quarters. But the 
cannon was again discharged, the canoe was pierced by 
the ball, and three or four redskins were killed by mus- 
ket shots. The rest swam to shore. 

The ship was sailing slowly onward, and, after skirt- 
ing the shore for about two miles, dropped anchor be- 
neath the cliffs at Iloboken. The day following was a 
stormy one, but the fourth of October was clear, with an 
excellent wind, so the Half Moon weighed anchor, 
passed through the bay, and, with all sails set, shoved 
her nose into the swirling billows of the broad Atlantic, 
leaving the noble river far astern. 



HENRY HUDSON 329 

The mate was in favor of wintering in Newfound- 
land, and of then seeking a passage to the Far East 
by means of the Davis Strait, but Hudson opposed 
this. The course of the Half Moon was kept in a line 
for England, where, on the seventh day of November, 
after an absence of a little more than seven months from 
Amsterdam, she glided into the harbor of Dartmouth. 
The crew, as you doubtless remember, was composed 
partly of English, partly of Dutch sailors, and, it is 
said that the Englishmen refused to allow their Cap- 
tain to sail into a Dutch harbor. Dutch historians de- 
clare, that, as the English King was jealous of the bold 
mariner's enterprises, he was not allowed to sail to 
Holland. At any rate, Hudson remembered his duty 
to his employers, and sent them a journal and chart 
of his discoveries, pointing with great pride to what 
he called " the Great River of the Mountains." The 
Dutch soon came over to settle the new-found country, 
and named the stream the North Eiver, to distinguish 
it from the Delaware, or South River. The Indians 
called it Cahohatatea, Mahackaneghtue, and sometimes 
Shatemuck. 

This successful voyage had now given Hudson a great 
name, and his discoveries fired his old employers of the 
London Company with enthusiasm. So they again 
called him into their sei-vice, determined to make an 
effort to find the North West passage by examining the 
inlets of this wonderful continent of America, — more 
particularly Davis Strait, through which it was sup- 
posed a channel might be found into the '' Great South 
Sea." Hudson was fui'uished with the ship Discovery, 



330 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

of fifty-fivo tons, which, equipped and manned with 
twenty-three men, set out for the Far West. This jour- 
ney was to be his last one. 

Upon the I7th. of April, 1610, the Discovery passed 
out of the mouth of the Thames, and, sailing near the 
coast of Scotland, the Orkney, Shetland and Faroe Is- 
lands, left the coast of Ireland astern, and headed for 
the barren shores of Greenland. Great numbers of 
whales were encountered, and two of these sea monsters 
dove underneath the ship, but did the craft no harm. 
It was soon evident that there was a turbulent and 
mutinous disposition among the crew, — Robert Juet, 
the Mate, being the chief offender, for he had remarked 
to one of the sailors that there would be bloodshed be- 
fore the voyage was over, and he was evidently plotting 
to seize the vessel, even at this early date. 

The history of this journey is vers- similar to that of 
most of the Arctic explorers. Hudson and his men 
met great, floating fields of ice; were chilled by the 
perpetual frost and snow ; and were finally starved into 
a submissive recognition of the fact that there could 
be no passage to Asia through the desolate region of the 
frozen North. 

Yet, the adventurous mariner discovered the great 
bay which bears his name and also the strait which is 
known as Hudson Strait. Forced to winter upon the 
land near Cape Digges, he soon discovered that his food 
supply was so low, that, should not succor come to him, 
he and his men would die of starvation. Luckily, there 
were many white partridges, or ptannigan, near the 
ship, which supplied them with provender, and, when 



HENEY HUDSON 331 

Spring came, great numbers of swans, of geese, ducks 
and other water-fowl came soaring by. Unfortunately 
they went farther North to breed, so the poor explorers 
were forced to search the hills, the woods, and the val- 
leys for anything which might afford them subsistence, 
even eating the moss which grew upon the ground. 

About the time when the ice began to break up, a 
browTi-skinned savage, doubtless an Eskimo, put in his 
appearance, and, as he was treated well, returned in a 
day or so, bringing beaver and other skins, which he 
gave to Hudson and his men, in return for presents 
which he had received the day before. He went away, 
promising to visit them again, but, as he did not do so, 
it is evident that he did not think that the white men 
had given him good treatment. 

The ice had now begim to melt, so the ship was 
headed southward. It was the middle of June, yet 
there were still great quantities of floating ice, so much, 
in fact, that the vessel was obliged to anchor. The food 
supply was about exhausted and aU that was left was 
a little bread and a few pounds of cheese. Hudson now 
told one of the crew to search the chests of all of the 
men in order to find any provisions which might be 
concealed there. The sailor obeyed and brought the 
Captain thirty cakes in a bag. When the crew learned 
this, they were greatly exasperated, and plotted open 
mutiny against the famous navigator. 

The vessel had been detained about a week in the 
ice when the first signs of mutiny appeared. Two 
sailors, called Greene and Wilson, the latter being the 
Boatswain, came one night to another mariner called 



332 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

Pricket, and told liim that several of the crew had re- 
solved to seize Iludson and set him adrift in a boat 
with all those on board who had been disabled by sick- 
ness. 

" There are only a few days' provisions left," said 
Greene, " and the master seems to be entirely irresolute 
which way to go. I, myself, have eaten nothing for 
three days, so our only hope is to take command of the 
ship, and, after escaping from these regions, we will go 
back to England." 

Pricket remonstrated with them, saying : " If you 
stain yourselves with so great a crime you will be ban- 
ished from England forever. Pray delay your inten- 
tion for four or five days, when we will be free of 
the ice and can doubtless get plenty of fish in our 
nets." 

Upon this Greene took up the Bible which lay there 
and swore that he would " do no man harm, and that 
what he did was for the good of the voyage and nothing 
else." 

There were many poor fellows who were ill and it 
was determined to maroon them in the boat with Hud- 
son, so that the mutineers could do as they wished with 
the Discovery, and would not be hampered by either 
their master or any one who could not work the ship. 
It was decided to put the plot into execution at day- 
break. 

As Iludson came up from the cabin, next morning, 
after eating a scanty breakfast, he was immediately 
seized by two sailors and his arms were bound fast 
behind him. 



HENRY HUDSON 333 

" What does this mean, men ? " cried he, with great 
indignation. 

Only sneers of defiance greeted his question. He 
now called upon the ship's carpenter to help him, tell- 
ing him that he was bound, but, as this poor fellow was 
also surrounded by mutineers, he could render him no 
assistance. 

The boat was now hauled alongside, and the sick 
and the lame were made to come up from below. They 
were told to get in, and Hudson's little son was forced 
to clamber over the steep sides of the vessel, and to lie 
upon the bottom of the boat. The sails were now 
hoisted upon the Discovery, and she stood eastward 
with a fair wind, dragging the poor fellows in the boat, 
astern. In a few hours, being clear of the ice, the 
rope leading to the shallop was cut, and soon after- 
wards the mutineers lost sight of Henry Hudson for- 
ever. 

The hardy adventurer was never heard of again. As 
for the mutineers, although they steered for Ireland, 
before they reached the coast they were so weakened 
that no one was found strong enough to stand by the 
hebn. When only one fowl was left for their subsist- 
ence and another day would be their last, they aban- 
doned all care of the vessel and prepared to meet their 
fate. Suddenly the joyful cry of '' a sail " was heard, 
and a fishing vessel came alongside which took them 
into a harbor of Ireland. They arrived in London 
after an absence of one year and five months. 

The English people wore horrified to learn of the 
treatment which the mutinous crew had administered 



334 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

to Henry Iliidson and sent out two vessels, the next 
Spring, in the hope of learning something of the fate 
of this brave navigator. Yet nothing was ever seen 
or heard of the unfortunate discoverer, who perished 
amidst the fogs and the ice of that bleak, northern 
ocean. 

Hudson was brave, resourceful, and resolute. He 
has been accused of cruelty to the Indians, and of want 
of high principle in causing their general intoxication 
when sailing upon the great river which was to be named 
after him. Yet you must remember that he had a 
mutinous body of men under his command, and could 
not easily restrain them from returning insult for in- 
jury, when their redskinned friends shot arrows at 
them. The death of the nine Indians killed at the 
head of Manhattan Island may be said to have been 
caused in a war of self-defense. As for the charge of 
heartlessness in getting the redskins intoxicated, you 
must also remember, that, like his men, he was sus- 
picious and alarmed, and therefore was determined to 
learn the honesty or treachery of the Indians by any 
means whatsoever. In England, they grieved deeply 
for the death of such a gallant countryman, and in the 
new world ho has perpetual monuments to his memory, 
for here a great bay, a city, and a mighty river, all 
bear the name of this brave yet unfortunate navigator. 



THE WIN'D FEOM THE NORTHLAND 

The wind blew from the northland, as the frozen bergs 

went by, 
And it sobbed a song through the grizzly murk, to the 

bobbing siren's cry. 
It sang of men of daring, and it whined of maids of 

the mist, 
Who burnish the shields of their men-at-arms, where 

the ice with the sunset's kissed. 
Ah! it told of Leif the Lucky, with his sword and his 

Vikings bold, 
Who hounded the bear to his cavern in the land where 

the penguins scold. 
We heard the clang of their axes; we were jarred with 

the crash of their swords, 
As the blaring bugles shrilled their notes in thin, trans- 
parent words. 
And the wind sang of brave Hudson, and it sobbed for 

his starving son, 
As, adrift in a boat, they were chilled by the glut of 

that night without a sun. 
And the blast sobbed out its tale of death, of BaflEin, 

Franklin, and Kane, 

Of Marvin, doLong, and Parry ; of the days of sorrow 

and pain. 

335 



336 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

Yet, the blinding sea-mew caroled with joy, as it whined 

by the loitering fleet, 
Which cruised where the cod and the haddock shoal, at 

tho rock-ribbed island's feet. 
And it shouted and roared a paan, to the heroes who'd 

carried a flag, 
A bit of a piece of red, white, and blue, to the spot where 

the ice-drifts sag. 
As it southward flew, it grew and it grew, 'til it roared 

out a rollicking psalm. 
To Peary, MacMillan, Borup; brave travelers, silent 

and calm. 
Southward it sang its slogan, where the tossing palm 

groves sway. 
And it rolled out a cheer of three times three, for " Un- 
cle Sam and the U. S. A. ! " 



PIERRE ESPRIT RADISSON: 

FIRST EXPLORER OF THE WEST AND 
NORTHWEST. 

(1651-1710) 



Where sheldrakes dart on Lah Niege, 

Where the lazy heaver swim. 

He drove his hlade and packed the trail. 

By the icy snoiu lake's rim. 

From the shores of Athabasca, 

To the caves of Saguenay, 

From the sleepy Mistassini, 

To the marsh of Hudson Bay; 

From the steppes of old Fort Caribou, 

From the glades of Fon du Lac, 

He slept and dwelt ivith redskins. 

And followed the unknown track. 



PIERRE ESPRIT RADISSON: 

FIKST EXPLORER OF THE WEST AND 
NORTHWEST. 

(1651-1710) 

IT was at the trading post of Three Rivers on the St. 
Lawrence River, the year 1662, and the time, early 
in the morning, when the wood thrush had just 
begun his call. Strange things happened then, but these 
were frontier days when strange things used to happen, 
so do not be surprised when you learn what befell Pierre 
Radisson, son of a French emigrant to Canada, and 
then a youth of about seventeen years of age. 

With two companions, young Pierre had gone out 
from the stockade to shoot ducks on Lake St. Peter, not 
far from tkis first home of the French emigrants to 
Canada. 

The sportsmen were all young, for only young boys 
would have left the shelter of the fortification at this 
time, as all the Canadians knew that the dreaded Iro- 
quois had been lying in ambush around the little settle- 
ment of Three Rivers, day and night, for a whole year. 
In fact, not a week passed but that some settler was 
set upon in the fields and left dead by the terrible red- 
skins. Farmers had flocked to the little fortification 

339 



.^,40 FA:\rous discoverers 

and would only vcuture back to their broad acres when 
armed with a musket. 

But these were only boys, and, like all boys, they went 
along, boasting how they would fight when the Indians 
came. One kept near the edge of the forest, on the 
lookout for the Iroquois, while the others kept to the 
water in quest of game. They had gone along in this 
manner for about three miles, when they met a fellow 
who was tending sheep. 

" Keep out from the foot of the hills ! " he called to 
them. " The Iroquois are there ! I saw about a hun- 
dred heads rising out of the bushes about an hour ago." 

The boys loaded their pistols and primed their mus- 
kets. 

In a short time they shot some ducks, and this seemed 
to satisfy one of the young men. 

" I have had enough," said he. " I am going back 
to the stockade where I can be safe." 

" And I will go with you," said the second. 

But young Eadisson laughed at them. 

" If you are afraid to go forward," said he, " I will 
go ahead by myself." 

So the wild youth went onward, shooting game at 
many places, until, at length, he had a large number 
of geese, ducks, and teal. There were more than he 
could possibly carry, so, hiding in a hollow tree the 
game that he could not bring back, he began trudging 
towards Three Eivers. Wading swollen brooks and 
scrambling over fallen trees, he finally caught sight of 
the town chapel, glimmering in the sunlight against the 
darkening horizon above the river. He had reached the 



PIERRE ESPRIT RADISSON 341 

place where his comrades had left him, so he sat down 
to rest himself. 

The shepherd had driven his sheep back to Three 
Eivers and there was no one near. The river came 
lapping through the rushes. There was a clacking of 
ducks as they came swooping down to their marsh nests 
and Eadisson felt strangely lonely. He noticed, too, 
that his pistols were water-soaked. Emptying the 
charges, he re-loaded, then crept back to reconnoiter the 
woodland. Great flocks of ducks were swimming on 
the river, so he deteiToined to have one more shot before 
he returned to the fort, now within easy hail. 

Young Pierre crept through the grass towards the 
game, but he suddenly stopped, for, before him was a 
sight that rooted him to the ground with horror. Just 
as they had fallen, naked and scalped, with bullet and 
hatchet wounds all over their bodies, lay his comrades 
of the morning. They were stone dead, lying face up- 
ward among the rushes. 

Eadisson was too far away from the woods to get 
back to them, so, stooping down, he tried to reach a 
hiding place in the marsh. As he bent over, half a 
hundred tufted heads rose from the high grass, and 
beady eyes looked to see which way he might go. They 
were behind him, before him, on all sides of him, — his 
only hope was a dash for the cane-growTi river, where 
he might hide himself until darkness would give him a 
chance to rush to the fort. 

Slipping a bullet and some powder into his musket 
as ho ran, and ramming it down, young Pierre dashed 
through the brushwood for a place of safety. Crash! 



342 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

A score of gims roared from the forest. He turned, and 
fired back, but; before he could re-load, an Iroquois 
brave was upon him, he was thrown upon his back, was 
disarmed, his hands were bound behind him with deer 
thongs, and he was dragged into the woods, where the 
Indians flaimted the scalps of his friends before his 
eyes. Half dra^^^l, half driven, he was taken to the 
shore where a flotilla of canoes was hidden. Fires were 
kindled, and, upon forked sticks driven into the ground, 
the redskins boiled a kettle of water for the evening 
meal. 

The Iroquois admired bravery in any man, and they 
now evinced a certain affection for this young French- 
man, for, in defiance of danger, they had seen him go 
hunting alone. When attacked, he had fired back 
at enough enemies to have terrified any ordinary 
Canadian. This they liked, so his clothing was re- 
turned to him, they daubed his cheeks with war paint, 
shaved his head in the manner of the redskinned braves, 
and, when they saw that their stewed dog turned him 
faint, they boiled him some meat in clean water and 
gave him some meal, browned upon burning sand. 
That night he slept beneath a blanket, between two 
warriors. 

In the morning the Indians embarked in thirty- 
seven canoes, two redskins in each boat, with young 
Pierre tied to a cross-bar in one of them. Spreading 
out on the river, thoy beat their paddles upon the gim- 
wales of their bateaux, shot off their gims, and uttered 
their shrill war cry, — " Ah-oh ! Ah-oh ! Ah-oh ! " 

The echoes carried along the wailing call, and in the 



PIERRE ESPRIT RADISSON 343 

log stockade the Canadians looked furtively at one an- 
other as the horrid sound was borne to them by the 
gentle wind. Then the chief stood up in his canoe, 
signaled silence, and gave three long blood-curdling 
yells. The whole company answered with a quavering 
chorus like wolf barks, and, firing their g-uns into the 
air, the canoes were driven out into the river, past the 
nestling log-stockade of Three Kivers, and up the cur- 
rent of the rushing stream. By sunset they were 
among the islands at the mouth of the river Richelieu, 
where were great clouds of wild-ducks, w-hich darkened 
the air at their approach. 

Young Pierre bore up bravely, determined to remain 
with his captors until an opportunity to escape pre- 
sented itself. The red men treated him kindly, say- 
ing: " Chagon! Chagon! Be merry! Cheer up!" 
He was given a paddle and was told to row, which he 
did right willingly. Another baud of warriors was 
met with on the river, and the prisoner was forced to 
show himself as a trophy of victory and to sing songs 
for his captors, which he did to the best of his ability. 
That evening an enormous camp-fire was kindled and 
the united bands danced a scalp-dance around it, flaunt- 
ing the scalps of the two dead French boys from spear 
heads, and reenacted in pantomime all the episodes of 
the massacre, while the women beat on rude, Indian 
drums. 

Pierre was now a thorough savage. He was given 
a tin looking-glass by which the Indians used to signal 
by the sun, and also a hunting knife. The Iroquois 
neared Lake Champlain where the river became so 



344 FzVMOUS DISCOVERERS 

turbulent that they were forced to land and make a 
portage. Young Radisson hurried over the rocks, 
helping the older warriors to carry their packs. As 
night came on, he was the first to cut wood for the 
camp-fire. 

It was no^v about a week since the redmen had left 
Lake St. Peter and they entered the gray waters of 
Lake Champlain. Paddling down its entire length, 
they entered the waters of beautiful Lake George, and, 
beaching the canoes upon its western bank, abandoned 
them: the warriors striking out through the forest for 
the country of the Iroquois. For two days they thus 
journeyed from the lake, when they were met by several 
women, who loaded themselves down with the luggage 
of the party, and accompanied the victorious braves to 
the village. Here the whole tribe marched out to meet 
them, singing, firing guns, shouting a welcome, dancing 
a war-dance of joy. 

It was now time for young Pierre to run the gauntlet. 
Sometimes the white prisoners were slowly led along 
with trussed arms and shackled feet, so that they could 
not fail to be killed before they reached the end of the 
line. With Radisson it was different. He waa 
stripped free and was told to run so fast that his tor- 
mentors could not hit him. He did this and reached 
the end of the human lane unscathed. 

As the white boy dashed free of the line of his tor- 
mentors, a captive Huron woman, who had been 
adopted by the tribe, caught him and led him to her 
cabin, where she fed and clothed him. But soon a 
band of braves marched to her door, demanded his sur- 



PIERRE ESPRIT RADISSON 345 

render, and took him to tlie Council Lodge of the Iro- 
quois for judgment. 

Eadisson was led into a huge cabin, where several 
old men sat solemnly around a central fire, smoking 
their calumets, or peace pipes. He was ordered to sit 
down. A coal of fire was then put into the bowl of the 
great Council Pipe and it was passed reverently around 
the assemblage. The old Huron woman now entered, 
waved her arms aloft, and begged for the life of the 
young man. As she made her appeal, the old men 
smoked on silently with deep, guttural " ho-ho's " 
meaning " Yes — yes. We are much pleased." So 
she was granted permission to adopt Eadisson as a son. 
The nerve and courage of the young French boy had 
thus saved his life. He must bide his time, — bye and 
bye, he would have an opportunity to escape. 

It was soon Autumn, the period of the hunt, so 
young Pierre set out into the forest with three sav- 
ages in order to lay in a supply of meat for the winter 
months. One night, as the woodland rovers were re- 
turning to their wigwams, there came the sound of 
some one singing through the leafy thicket, and a man 
approached. He was an Algonquin brave, a captive 
among the Iroquois, and he told them that he had been 
on the track of bear since day-break. He was wel- 
comed to the camp-fire, and, when he learned that 
Eadisson was from Three Eivers, he immediately grew 
friendly with the captive white boy. 

That evening, when the camp-fire was roaring and 
crackling so that the Iroquois could not hear what he 
said, the Indian told Eadisson that he had been a cap- 



346 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

tive for two years and that he longed to make his 
escape. 

"Hist! Boy!" said he. "Do you love the 
French ? " 

Pierre looked around cautiously. 

" Do you love the Algonquins ? " he replied. 

" As I do my own mother," was the answer. Then, 
leaning closer, the warrior whispered: "Brother — 
white man — let us escape ! The Three Rivers, it is 
not so far off ! Will you live like a dog in bondage, or 
will you have your liberty with the French ? " Then 
he lowered his voice. " Let us kill all three of these 
hounds to-night, when they are asleep, and then let us 
paddle away, up Lake Champlain, again to the country 
of our own people." 

Eadisson's face grew pale beneath his war paint. 
He hesitated to answer, and, as he looked about him, 
the suspicious Iroquois cried out : 

" Why so much whispering? " 

" We are telling hunting stories," answered the Al- 
gonquin, smiling. 

This seemed to satisfy the Iroquois, for, wearied by 
the day's hunt, they soon dozed olf in sleep and were 
snoring heavily: their feet to the glowing embers. 
Their guns were stacked carelessly against a tree. It 
was the time for action. 

The French boy was terrified lest the Algonquin 
should carry out his threat, and so pretended to be 
asleep. Rising noiselessly, the captive redskin crept 
up to the fire and eyed the three sleeping Mohawks 
with no kindly glance. The redraen slept heavily on, 



PIERRE ESPRIT RADISSON 347 

while the cry of a whip-poor-will sounded ominously 
from the black and gloomy forest. 

The crafty Algonquin stepped, like a cat, over the 
sleeping forms of the braves, took possession of their 
firearms, and then walked to where Radisson was lying. 
The French boy rose uneasily. As he did so, the In- 
dian thrust a tomahawk into one of his hands, pointing, 
with a menacing gesture, to the three Iroquois. Rad- 
isson's hand shook like a leaf. 

But the captive red man's hand did not shake, and, 
lifting his own hatchet, he had brained one of the sleep- 
ing redskins without more ado. Pierre endeavored to 
imitate the warrior, but, unnerved with the horror of 
it all, he lost hold of his tomahawk, just as it struck the 
head of the sleeping Iroquois. The redskin leaped to 
his feet, uttering a wild yell, which awakened the third 
sleeper. But he had no chance to rise, as the Algon- 
quin felled him with one, swift blow, while Radisson, 
recovering his hatchet, hit the second red man with 
such force, that he fell back, lifeless. 

Hurray! Radisson was free! 

The Algonquin did not waste precious moments; 
but, hastily scalping the dead, he threw their bodies 
into the river, then, packing up all their possessions, 
they placed them in the canoe, took to the water, and 
slipped away towards Lake Champlain. 

" I was sorry to have been in such an encomiter," 
writes Radisson. " But it was too late to repent." 

The fugitives were a long way from Three Rivers, 
on the St. Lawrence, and they knew that many rov- 
ing Iroquois were hunting in the country between them 



348 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

aud the French settlement. They must go carefully, 
be perpetually on their guard, and then, — they would 
be among their own people again ! Only, caution ! 
caution ! And never a sound at any time ! 

Traveling only at night, aud hiding during the day, 
the fugitives crossed Lake Champlain, entered the 
Kichelieu, and, after many portages, finally swept out 
upon the wide surface of Lake St. Peter, in the St. 
Lawrence. They paddled hard and were soon within a 
day's journey of Three Rivers, yet they were in greater 
danger then than at any time in the hazardous trip, as 
the Iroquois had infested this part of the St. Lawrence 
for more than a year, and often lay hidden in the rush- 
grown marshes and the wooded islands, waiting for 
some unsuspecting French Canadian to pass by. It 
was four o'clock in the morning when the Algonquin 
and white boy reached the side of Lake St. Peter. 
They cooked their breakfast, covered the fire, and lay 
down to sleep. 

At six o'clock, the Algonquin shook Pierre by the 
shoulder, urging him to cross the lake to the Three 
Kivers side. 

" The Iroquois are lurking about here," the French 
boy answered. " I am afraid to go. Let us wait until 
dark. Then, all will be well." 

" 'No, no," answered the brave. " Let us paddle 
forward. We are past fear. Let us shake off the yoke 
of these whelps who have killed so many French and 
black robes (priests). If you do not come now, I will 
leave you, and I will tell the Governor that you were 
afraid to come." 



PIERRE ESPRIT RADISSON 349 

Radisson consented to take a chance at getting to the 
stockade, although his judgment told him to wait until 
dark. So the canoe was pushed out from the rushes, 
and, with strong strokes, the flimsy boat was driven to- 
wards the north shore. They were half way across, 
when Pierre called out : " I see shadows on the water 
ahead." 

The Indian, who was in the stern, stood up, saying: 

" It is but the shadow of a flying bird. There is no 
danger." 

So they kept on ; but, as they progressed, the shadows 
multiplied, for they were the reflections of many Iro- 
quois, hidden among the rushes. The fugitives now 
saw them, and, heading their canoe for the south shore, 
fled for their lives. 

On, on they went; but, on, on, came the Iroquois. 
The redskins came nearer and nearer, there was a 
crash of musketry and the bottom of the canoe was 
punctured by a ball. The Algonquin fell dead with 
two bullet wounds in his head, while the canoe gradu- 
ally filled with water, settled, and sank, with the young 
Frenchman clinging to the side. Now a firm hand 
seized him, and he was hauled into one of the canoes of 
the Iroquois. 

The victors set up a shrill yelp of triumph. Then 
they went ashore, kindled a great fire, tore the heart 
out of the dead Algonquin, put his head on a pike, and 
cast the mutilated body into the flames. Radisson was 
bound, roped around the waist, and tlirown do\^Ti upon 
the ground, where he lay with other captives: two 
Frenchmen, one white woman, and twenty Hurons. 



350 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

In seventeen canoes, the Iroquois now paddled up 
the Richelieu Eivcr for their own country, frequently 
landing to camp and cook, at which times young Pierre 
was pegged out on the sand, and left to be tortured 
by sand-flies and mosquitoes. 

When they reached the village, Radisson w^as greeted 
with shouts of rage by the friends of the murdered 
Mohawks, who, armed with rods and skull-crackers 
(leather bags loaded with stones) rushed upon him 
and beat him sorely. As the prisoners moved on, 
the Hurons wailed the death dirge. But sud- 
denly there broke from the throng of onlookers the 
Iroquois family that had adopted young Pierre. 
Pushing through the crowd of torturers, the mother 
caught Radisson by the hair, crying out : " Orimba ! 
Orimba ! " She then cut the thongs that bound him 
to the poles, and shoved him to her husband, who 
led the trembling young Frenchman to their own 
lodge. 

" Thou fool," cried the old chief, turning wrathfully 
upon the young man. *' Thou wast my sou ! Thou 
lovest us not, although we saved thy life! Wouldst 
kill me, too ? " Then he shoved him to a mat upon 
the ground, saying : " Chagon — now be merry ! It 
is a fine business you've gotten yourself into, to be 
sure." 

Radisson sank to the ground, trembling with fear, 
and endeavored to eat something. He was relating his 
adventures when there was a roar of anger from the 
Iroquois outside, and, a moment later, the rabble broke 
into the lodge. He was seized, carried back to the 



PIERRE ESPRIT RADISSON 351 

other prisoners, and turned over to the torture. We 
will draw a veil over what now befell him. 

After three days of misery the half-dead Frenchman 
was brought before the council of the Mohawk Chiefs. 
Sachem after sachem rose and spoke, while tobacco was 
sacrificed to the fire-god. The question to be decided 
was, could the Mohawks afford to offend the great Iro- 
quois chief who was the French youth's friend? This 
chieftain wished to have the young man's life spared. 
Would they do so ? 

After much talk and passing of the peace-pipe, it was 
decided that the young man could go free. The cap- 
tive's bonds were cut, he was allowed to leave the coun- 
cil chamber, and, although unable to walk, was carried 
to the lodge of his deliverer. For the second time his 
life had been saved. 

Spring came at last and the young Frenchman was 
taken on a raid amidst the enemies of the Iroquois. 
Then they went on a free-booting expedition against 
the whites of the Dutch settlements at Orange (Al- 
bany), which consisted, at that time, of some fifty, 
thatched log-houses surrounded by the settlements of 
one hundred and fifty farmers. The raid was a blood- 
less one, the red warriors looting the farmers' cabins, 
emptying their cupboards, and drinking up all the beer 
in their cellars. Finally they all became intoxicated, 
and, as they wanted guns, the Dutch easily took advan- 
tage of them in trade. 

Radisson had been painted like a Mohawk and was 
dressed in buckskin. For the first time in two years 
he saw white men, and, although he could not under- 



352 FAMOUS DISCOVEKERS 

stand the Dutch hinguage, it gave him great pleasure to 
see some one of his own race again. 

As the white Mohawk moved about the fort, he no- 
ticed a soldier imioug the Dutch who was a Frenchman, 
and, at the same instant the soldier saw, that, beneath 
all the paint and grease, was a brother. They spoke 
to each other, threw their arms around one another's 
necks, and from that moment Kadisson became the lion 
of Fort Orange. 

The Dutch people crowded about him, shook his 
hand, otfered him presents of wine and of money. They 
wished to ransom him at any price; but he was pledged 
to return to his Indian parents and he feared the re- 
venge of the Mohawk braves. So he had to decline 
the kind offer of the white men, returning to his lodge 
in the Indian coimtry, far more of a hero in the eyes 
of his Indian allies than ever before. 

Young Pierre had not been back among the Iro- 
quois for more than two weeks when he bepiu to pine 
for the log fortress at Three Rivers. He loathed 
the filthy food, the smoky lodges, the cnielties of the 
Mohawks, and he longed to be once more among his 
o^^^l people. Hidden beneath all the grease and war 
paint was the true nature of the white man, and he 
detennined to escape, even if he had to die for the 
attempt. 

The white Indian left his lodge, early one morning 
in the month of September, taking only his hatchet, 
as if he were going to cut wood. Once out of sight of 
the ^[ohawk village, ho broke into a run, following the 
trail, through the dense forests of the Mohawk Valley, 



PIERRE ESPRIT RADISSON 353 

towards Fort Orauge. On, on, be ran until tho morn- 
ing, wheu, spent with fatigue, be fell exbausted to the 
ground. After a sbort sleep, be again arose, pressed 
forward through the brush, aud tinally came to a clear- 
ing in the forest where a man was chopping wood. lie 
found that there were no redskins iu the cabin, then, 
biding in it, be persuaded the settler to carrv a mes- 
sage to the Fort. While he was absent, be hid behind 
some sacks of wheat. 

The frontiersman had been gone about an hour, when 
he returned with a rescue party, who conducted the 
young Frenchman to the Fort. Here he hid for three 
days, while a party of Mohawks wandered through the 
stockade, calling for him by name, but they could not 
find him. Gifts of money from a Jesuit priest en- 
abled him to take a ship to New York, then a settle- 
ment of five hundred houses, with stores, barracks, and 
a stone church. After a stay of three weeks the ex- 
Mohawk set sail for Amsterdam, where he arrived in 
January, 1674. 

He took a ship for Rochelle, but alas ! he there found 
that all of his relatives had moved to Three Rivers iu 
New France, ^liy remain here i In a week's time 
he had embarked with the fishing fleet which yearly left 
France for the Great Banks, and came, early in the 
Spring of 1675, to Isle Percce, at the mouth of the 
St. La\\Tence. He was a week's journey from Three 
Rivers, but Algonquin canoes were on their way up the 
blue St, LawTence for a fight with the Iroquois. He 
jumped into one of them, and, in a very short time, 
once more sprang ashore at the stockade of Three 



354 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

Rivers where he was welcomed as one risen from the 
dead. 

Not long after this, we find Radisson at the stockade 
of Onondaga, a French fort bnilt upon a hill above a 
lake upon the Oswego River. Here the French had 
established a post, the farthest in the wilderness; and 
here about sixty Frenchmen were spending the winter, 
waiting for the Spring to break up the ice so that they 
could return to Quebec. The redskins seemed to be 
friendly; but, early in February, vague rumors of a 
conspiracy against them came to the ears of the white 
men. A dying Mohawk confessed to a Jesuit priest 
that the Iroquois Council had decided to massacre half 
the garrison, and to hold the other half captive until 
their own Mohawk hostages were released from Quebec. 
These were held there by the French to ensure good 
treatment of their own people at this far-distant 
fortress. 

What were the French to do? Here they were, 
miles and miles from Three Rivers, surrounded by hos- 
tiles, with Winter at hand. How could they escape? 
Radisson was quite equal to the emergency and pro- 
posed a way to outwit the savages, which was as cun- 
ning as it was amusing. He would invite all of the 
braves to a big feast, he would get them stupified with 
food and with drink, then, when all were asleep, the 
sixty Frenchmen would take to their boats and would 
make a break for it down the river. A bold idea — 
this. Let us see how it worked out ? 

Radisson told the redskins that he had had a " big 
dream," a dream to the effect that the white men were 



PIERRE ESPRIT RADISSON 355 

to give a great feast to the Iroquois. They greeted the 
news with joy, and, as couriers ran through the forest, 
bidding the Mohawks to the banquet, the warriors 
hastened to the walls of Onondaga. To sharpen their 
appetites, they were kept waiting outside for two whole 
days. 

Meanwhile, inside the fort everything was made 
ready for a hasty departure. Ammunition was scat- 
tered in the snow ; guns which could not be taken along 
were either burned or broken; canoes were prepared 
to be launched; all the live stock, except one solitary 
pig, a few chickens, and the dogs, was sacrificed for the 
feast. The soldiers cooked great kettles of meat and 
kept the redskins from peering into the stockade, lest 
they discover what was going on. 

The evening of the second day arrived, and a great 
fire was kindled in the outer inclosure of the fort, be- 
tween the two walls, where blankets were spread for 
the red-skinned guests. Now the trumpets blew a deaf- 
ening blast, the Mohawks shouted, and the French 
clapped their hands wildly. As the outer gates were 
thrown open, in trooped several hundred Mohawk war- 
riors, who seated themselves in a circle around the fire, 
saying : 

" Ugh ! Ugh ! We much hungry ! " 

Again the trumpets blared, and twelve enormous 
kettles of mince-meat were carried around the circle 
of guests. All dipped deeply into the steaming 
dish, while one Mohawk chieftain arose solemnly, say- 
ing: 

" Tlic French are the most generous people on earth. 



356 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

The Great Spirit has iudeed blessed the French, to 
make them so kind to the Mohawks. We are truly 
glad to be at the feast with our white brothers." 

Other speakers arose, proclaiming the great virtues 
of the French; but, before they had finished talking, 
there came a second and a third relay of kettles. Here 
were plates of salted fowl, of venison, and of bear. 
The Indians gorged themselves, each looking at his 
neighbor to see if he could still eat. 

" Cheer up 1 Cheer up ! " cried Radisson, as he 
circled among the braves. " If sleep overcomes you, 
you must awake ! Cheer up ! Cheer up ! Beat the 
drum ! Blow the trumpet ! Cheer up ! " 

The eyes of the Indians began to roll, for never be- 
fore had they had such a banquet. Some shook their 
heads and lolled backwards, others fell over in the dead 
sleep which comes from long fasting, fresh air and 
overfeeding. By midnight all were sprawled upon the 
ground in deep slumber. The moment for action was 
at hand. 

The French retired to the inner court, while the main 
gate was bolted and chained. The Indians were all 
outside the French quarters, so they could not see what 
was going on inside, even if they had been awake. 
Through the loop-hole of the gate ran a rope attached 
to a bell which was used to summon the sentry, and to 
this rope Radisson tied the only remaining pig, so 
that, when the Indians would pull the rope for admis- 
sion, the noise of the disturbed porker would give the 
impression of a sentry's tramp, tramp on parade. 
Stuffed soldiers were placed around the palisades, so 



PIEEKE ESPRIT RADISSON 357 

that, if an Indian should climb up to look into the fort, 
he would still see Frenchmen there. 

The baggage was now stowed away in flat boats, and 
dugouts were brought out for the rest of the company. 
The night was raw and cold, while a thin sheeting of ice 
had formed upon the margin of the river. The fugi- 
tives were soon on board their craft, had pushed out 
into the stream, and were off; while, behind them, the 
redskins still lay around in a circle of stupid insensi- 
bility. Only the barking of a dog disturbed the quiet 
of the evening. 

Piloted by the crafty Radisson, the French left On- 
ondago on the 20th. day of March, 1678. On the eve- 
ning of April 3d. they came to Montreal, where they 
learned that New France had suffered intolerable 
insolence from the Iroquois all winter. On the 23d., 
they moored safely under the walls of the citadel 
of Quebec, where all laughed heartily at the good 
trick which they had worked upon the bloodthirsty Mo- 
hawks. 

When Spring came and canoes could venture up the 
river, couriers brought word that the Mohawks at On- 
ondago had been greatly deceived by the pig and the 
ringing bell. The stuffed figures had led them to be- 
lieve that the French were there, for more than a 
week. Crowing of cocks had come from the chicken 
yard, dogs had bayed in the kennels, and whenever a 
curious brave had yanked the bell at the gate, he could 
hear the measured march of the sentry. 

WTien seven days passed by, and not a white man 
came from the fort ; 



358 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

" The black robes must be at prayers," whispered the 
Mohawks. 

But they could not pray on for seven days. Sus- 
picions of trickery flashed on the minds of the Iro- 
quois, and a warrior climbed to the top of the palisade. 
It was empty, and the French had gone! 

Two hundred Mohawks immediately set out in pur- 
suit, but there was much ice and snow, so that they had 
to return, cursing their stupidity, and the cleverness 
of Pierre Radisson. 

Radisson did more than this, he discovered the Great 
!N"orthwest. When a captive among the Mohawks, he 
had cherished boyish dreams of discovering many wild 
nations ; and, when his brother-in-law, Groseillers, asked 
him to take a journey with him far to the westward, 
he only too readily acquiesced. Late one night in 
June, Groseillers and he stole out from Three Rivers, 
accompanied by Algonquin guides. They went as far 
as Green Bay, spent the winter there, then, when the 
Spring sun warmed the land, they traveled westward, 
passed across what is now the State of Wisconsin, and 
reached a ** mighty river rushing profound and com- 
parable to the St. Lawrence." It was the upper Mis- 
sissippi, now seen for the first time by white men. 

The Spring of 1679 found the explorers still among 
the prairie tribes of the Mississippi, and from them 
Radisson learned of the Sioux, a warlike nation to the 
West, who had no fixed alxxlo, but lived by the chase 
and were at constant war with another tribe to the 
north, the Crees. 



PIERRE ESPRIT RADISSON 359 

The two Frenclimen pressed westward, circled over 
the territory now known as Wisconsin, eastern Iowa 
and Nebraska, South Dakota, and Montana, and back 
over IN^orth Dakota and Minnesota to the north shore 
of Lake Superior. 

Then Kadisson made a snow-shoe trip towards Hud- 
son's Bay and back again, living on moose meat and the 
flesh of beaver and caribou. Finally, after adventures 
exciting and hair-raising, he and Groseillers found their 
way to Three Kivers. 

Although Eadisson was not yet twenty-eight years of 
age, his explorations into the Great Xorthwest had won 
him both fame and fortune. 

So this is the way that he spent his life. Voyaging, 
trapping, trading, he covered all this great, wild coun- 
try, paddled up her rivers, fished in her lakes, smoked 
the pipe of peace in her settlements. In ten years' 
time he brought half a million dollars' worth of furs to 
an English trading company which employed him. 

Yet, with all his explorations, all his adventures, all 
his trading, as he grew old, he remained as poor as one 
of the couriers de hois who used to paddle him up the 
streams of Xew France. Until the year 1710 he drew 
an allowance of £50 a year ($250) from the English 
Hudson Bay Trading Company, then paNTueuts seemed 
to have stopped. Radisson had a wife and four chil- 
dren to support, but what happened to him, or to them, 
is unknowii to history. 

Somewhere in the vast country of Xew France the 
life of this daring adventurer went out. And some- 
where in that vast possession lies the body of this, the 



360 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

first white man to explore the Great Northwest. Ob- 
livion hides all record of his death, and only the cry 
of the moose-bird, harsh, discordant — the true call of 
the wilderness — echoes over the unknown spot where 
lie, no doubt, the bones of this trickster of the Mo- 
hawks and explorer of the wastes of New France. 

Memorial tablets have been erected in many cities to 
commemorate La Salle, Champlain, and other discov- 
erers. Radisson has no monument, save the memory 
of a valiant man-of-the-woods, reverently held in the 
hearts of all those who love the hemlock forests, the 
paddle, the pack, and the magnetic call of the wilder- 
ness. 



FATHER MARQUETTE: 

TEUE MAN OF GOD, AND EXPLORER OF 
THE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI. 

(1637-1675) 



The wild goose honked its message of fear. 

As it winged away o'er the marshes sere. 

And the little brown teal went, " quack, quack, quack," 

As it fled from the man all dressed in black. 

But he, a priest, had a smile on his lips. 

For he saw a stream with the sunset kissed. 

And he raised aloft his hand, with a cross. 

And blessed the waves, which the wild winds toss. 



FATHER MARQUETTE: 

TRUE MAX OF GOD, AND EXPLORER OF 
THE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI. 

(1637-1675) 

MAXY, many years ago, when the Indian tribes 
inhabited the wilderness of North America, 
a good priest came among them to teach them 
the ways of Christ. He was a Frenchman called Pere, 
or Father Marquette, and he had been bom at Laon, 
France, June 1st., 1627. 

Early choosing the profession of priesthood, he en- 
tered the Jesuit College at Nancy, where he finally 
graduated, a man of saintly character, accurate learn- 
ing and distinguished culture. Yet, disdaining to re- 
main in France, he eagerly looked forward to adven- 
ture in the wilderness of North America, and was con- 
sequently overjoyed to receive an order to proceed to 
Canada, then termed New France. He set sail, ar- 
rived at the struggling village of Quebec, September 
20th., 1666, and, in October of that same year, was 
sent to Three Rivers, to begin the study of the Indian 
language and to obtain some knowledge of the life of a 
missionary. 

Some of you have doubtless camped in the Canadian 
wilderness, where you have seen the Indians, trappers, 

363 



36i fa:^ious discoverers 

and guides, who hover around the outfitter's store, 
where one buys his food for a canoe trip into the woods. 
The Canadian wilderness, then, was much wilder than 
it is now. In those days there were thousands of red- 
skins, where now there are only a few, and in those 
days the red men were really ferocious, often engaging 
in great battles with each other, and torturing their 
prisoners with lire-brands and also making them run 
the gauntlet. 

The French were very kind to the redskins and sent 
many Jesuit missionaries among them, so the red men 
liked the Frenchmen, even as they disliked the English. 
The Englishmen treated them like some inferior sort 
of dogs, whereas the French priests endeavored to help 
them in every way possible ; taught them medicine, 
cooking and house-building, and looked after them 
when they were ill. 

Father Marquette was accustomed to the refinement 
and culture of the France of his day, so it must have 
been a curious experience for him to be suddenly 
thrown into the wilderness life. Yet he settled down 
to his career of a missionary with zeal and enthusiasm, 
taking up a residence with one Father Drulettes, who 
lived in a log hut. Here he spent two years of hard 
study and still harder life, eagerly learning woodcraft, 
canoeing and the Indian language, which was to be of 
great assistance to him in later years. 

Time passed pleasantly by. Finally it was agreed 
that young Father Marquette knew sufficient " Indian 
talk " to make himself understood by the redskins, so, 
in April, 1668, he was sent forth among the Ottawas. 



FATHER M.\J^QUETTE 365 

With several others he left Three Rivers for Montreal, 
traveling by canoe, and from this small settlement 
journeyed to the Sault de Sainte Marie, a trading post 
built where the waters of Lake Superior rush tumultu- 
ously through boiling rapids towards Lake Huron. 
Here was the mission of St. Mary, the headquarters of 
the Jesuit fathers who labored among the Ottawa In- 
dians. Here also were many white fur traders, who 
wished to barter with the red men. 

The Indians were many. The Ottawa tribe con- 
sisted of the Chippewas, Beavers, Creeks, Ottawas, 
Hurons, Menomonees, Pottawattomies, Sacs, Foxes, 
Winnebagoes, Miamis, Illinois and the Sioux. The 
natives lived along the shores of Lake Superior, Lake 
Huron, and through the woods of Michigan and Wis- 
consin, near the banks of the many rivers in this region. 

The " Soo " or Sault Ste. Marie is a busy place to- 
day, and it was a busy place then, for it was the heart 
of all Indian activity, being the place from which all 
the redskins set out upon their trips to the wilderness 
and to Quebec and Montreal. Xow the great locks 
make continuous travel by water possible between Buf- 
falo and Detroit. In our times as many ships pass this 
point as did birch-bark canoes in the year of 1600. 
Yet then, there was as much trade and barter at the 
" Soo," in comparison to the Indian and white popula- 
tion, as there is now, with the vast population which 
surrounds it. 

Father Marquette enjoyed himself greatly among the 
redskins, and particularly loved the long canoe trips 
in the beautiful rivers and lakes. He was much re- 



366 FA^^IOUS DISCOVERERS 

spected by the Indians, who called him, " the good 
brother," and so successful was he in converting them 
to Christianity that he was sent from Mission Sault Ste. 
Marie to Mission La Pointe, on Lake Superior, where 
he arrived in September, 1669. Ilere he labored 
among the peaceful red men until the post was aban- 
doned in 1671, because the warlike Sioux had deter- 
mined to tight with the Hurons. 

Por the poor Hurons to accept the gauge of battle 
would have meant their utter destruction, so they ded 
to the south, taking up their residence at Michillimack- 
inac, on Lake Huron. Thither went the noble Pather 
Marquette, and, seated among them in his black robe, 
took part in all their many deliberations. He baptized 
their children, married their young braves, and taught 
the gospel of Jesus Christ. Here he established the 
Mission St. Iguaee and built a beautiful chapel, to 
which, years later, worn out and exhausted by his seri- 
ous labors Lu the wilderness, his body was carried by 
the redskins for burial. 

As the good priest lived among the red men, he heard 
stories of a great river which lay to the westward, so 
he determined to discover and explore it. W;mderiug 
trappers brought him news of this stream, and, as he 
now knew how to talk with these wild men of the north, 
he easily learned all that they could tell him about it. 
His heart and mind were stirred with the fever of the 
adventurer. He must, he would go and see what lay 
far to the westward where were ferocious redskins, wild 
beasts, and unknown water-courses. 

As dreams of exploration floated through the pure 



FATHER MARQUETTE 367 

aud boyisli miud of the good Jesuit missionarv, a 
Preueliiuan, ealled Joliet, arrived from Quebec. All, 
but be was a roving dog, this Joliet, and, when be 
beard tbat tbe priest was contemphiting a trip of ex- 
ploration and adventure, up went bis bands, a smile 
came to bis face, and be exclaimed, " Ob, my good 
Fatber Marquette, I am tbe man to go with you ! I, 
and I alone, sball be your companion in tbis venture 
into tbe wilderness. Here's my band upon it ! " 

So the two adventurers clasped bands, then set about 
to secure five stout canoemen with backwoods experi- 
ence, to paddle with them to tbe great unknown. It 
vras not ditbcult to find such fellows {couriers de hois, 
they were called). 

On May ITtb., 1G73, Marquette and Joliet, with five 
as staunch Frenchmen as ever lifted a pack and poled 
a canoe, started upon an ever-memorable journey of 
exploration. They went in but two canoes — big 
birch-bark fellows to be sure — and carried with them 
guns, clothing, food, robes, books, and scientific instru- 
ments. 'Twas a good load to stow away in such small 
bateaux, but tbey must have been larger canoes than 
we use to-day, where only three can comfortably travel. 
There were two brave men at the head of this expedi- 
tion ; they loved God : they loved France, and tbey 
strove to do something for God and Fatherland. Tbey 
succeeded in both. 

From tbe little mission of St. Ignace tbe party of ex- 
plorers followed tbe right shore of Lake Michigan in a 
westerly and southerly direction. Tbey first stopped 
at Green Bav, where tbev visited the tribe of Meuomo- 



368 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

nees, so called after the wild rice which there grew lux- 
uriously in the rich mud bottoms and swamplands. 
The red men were ven>- hospitable and begged the good 
priest in his black robe not to proceed farther. '* You 
will meet a nation which never shows mercy to stran- 
gers," said one chieftain. " They will break your 
heads with their stone hatchets. The great river which 
you look for is very dangerous. It is full of horrible 
monsters which will devour your canoes. There is a 
big Demon in the path which swallows all who approach 
him, and the heat is so great that you will all die." 

To this the Jesuit missionary' replied, 

" I do not fear these things, my red brothers. My 
God is with me and he will protect me from all these 
demons." 

So the voyagers bade the doubting redskins good-bye, 
turned the bows of their canoes towards the setting sun, 
and went forth upon their journey. 

The paddles drove the light birch-bark boats along 
the shore of Lake Michigan. Many times the voyagers 
gazed at the magnificent scenery with rapt attention, 
for they were in the heart of the wilderness, and, as 
lovers of nature, they enjoyed the magnificence of 
wooded shore-line and wave-tossed water. On, on, they 
went, passing from Green Bay to the southern end, and 
down this into Lake Winnebago: blue, forest-hidden, 
and shimmering in the rays of the brilliant sunlight. 

At the end of this beautiful sheet of water was an 
Indian village, where now is the town of Oshkosh. 
Here were many redskins, Mascoutens, Miamis and 
Kickapoos, some of whom had migrated thither from 




MfaksakTm\M^am\ 



FATHER MARQUETTE 369 

Virginia and Ohio. Pere Marquette was greeted hos- 
pitably, for many of these Indians were Christians and 
had erected a handsome cross in the center of their 
town, adorned with skins of the fox and the beaver, 
with red belts, bows and arrows, all offerings to the 
Great Manitou, or God of all Gods. 

The wandering priest conducted religious sei-vices, 
then asked his hearers for two guides to pilot them to 
the mighty river, which he heard was to the westward. 
Joyfully the red men gave him two Miami braves, who, 
leading him to the branches of the upper Fox, showed 
him where to take to the land and portage across coun- 
try to the head-waters of the Weskonsing, now the Wis- 
consin River. The birch-bark boats were soon floating 
past virgin forests, in which robins and cat-birds car- 
oled songs of welcome to these, the first white men 
who had ever sailed past upon the surface of the stream. 
The Miami guides now departed and the adventurers 
went forward alone. 

For seven days the paddles drove the shallow canoes 
down the slow-moving Wisconsin, and then, upon the 
morning of the eighth day, the waters widened and the 
couriers de hois with their venturesome man-of-God 
suddenly paddled into the muddied current of the 
mighty Missi-sepi, or Great River. It was a point 
where the Father of W^aters was a mile across and was 
fifty-three feet deep, so, as Pere Marquette gazed upon 
the turbid current, he had " a joy which he could not 
express." For days he had journeyed westward to 
view the fabled river, and now he saw that wonderful 
stream of which the wandering fur traders and redskins 



370 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

bad told him at the fur distant mission of St. Ig- 
nace. 

It was the tenth of June. Marquette had left 
the quiet mission on May the seventeenth, nearly a 
month before this; the journey, so far, had been pleas- 
ant, but what lay beyond? Hostile Indians, fever, 
treacherous currents, death in the stream and death 
upon the shore! Yet, on, on, went Pere Marquette 
until he had reached the mouth of the Arkansas. Here 
he halted, for he believed that he was within three days' 
journey of the ocean. The good priest was feverish, 
for the malarial mosquito hovered over the yellow cur- 
rent of the Mississippi then, even as he does now. Yet, 
what cared he ? His work had been well done and he 
had added much to the glory of France and to tlie re- 
nown of the Jesuit brotherhood. 

Again and again, as they descended the stream, the 
canoes had struck the backs of monster fish, the stur- 
geons, which looked and felt like great tree trunks in 
the water. The boatmen had landed, every day, and 
had shot wild turkeys, ducks and prairie hens. Near 
the spot where is now the town of Rock Island, they 
saw great herds of bison, or buffalo, and they marveled 
at their stupidity and their ugliness. "Wlienever the 
explorers landed they kept a strict guard, for fear of 
an Indian attack, and as each evening came on, they 
made a small fire on shore to cook their meals, then 
entered the two canoes, paddled into the stream, and 
slept as far from the bank as possible. 

As the French adventurers came down the mighty 
Mississippi, there were, of course, many meetings with 



FATHER M^VEQUETTE 371 

the various Indian tribes which had their homes upon 
its banks. On the 25th. day of June, they saw the 
tracks of men upon the water's edge and a narrow, 
beaten path across the prairie. *' It must be a road 
leading to a village," said Marquette; "we will recon- 
noiter it and see what is there ! " 

Recommending themselves to God, Marquette and 
Joliet undertook to investigate, and silently followed 
the narrow path. They walked onward for about two 
miles and then heard voices. Before them was an In- 
dian village. They halted, and then advanced, shouted 
with all their euerg\'. The redskins swarmed from 
their huts, much excited, but, seeing the Black Robes, 
of whom the traveling Hurons had told them, they 
quieted down, sending four of their old men to meet 
the white voyagers. 

As the Indians approached, they bore, in their hands, 
tobacco pipes, finely ornamented and adorned with vari- 
ous feathers. They walked slowly, with the pipes 
raised to the sun and said nothing at all. These were 
calumets, or peace pipes, which they carried. As 
Marquette and Joliet walked towards the village, with 
an Indian on either side, they saw before them an old 
man standing before a lodge, with his hands out- 
stretched and raised towards the sun. Looking intently 
at the priest and his companion, he said : 

" How beautiful is the sun, O Frenchmen, when you 
come to visit us ! All our town awaits thee, and thou 
shalt enter all our cabins of peace. Welcome to the 
land of the Illinois. TVelcome, thrice welcome! " 

The visitors entered the cabin, where was a crov.d 



372 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

of red men, who kept silence, but eagerly gazed upon 
the strangers. Tiually several spoke, saying: 

" Well done, brothers, to visit us ! " 

Now all sat down, the peace pipe was passed around, 
they smoked, and then conversed in sign-language. 
But soon messengers arrived from the Grand Sachem 
of the Illinois, inviting the Frenchmen to visit 
his town, where he wished to hold a council with 
them. 

So the seven explorers started for the village of the 
Grand Sachem, attended by a vast crowd of red men, 
who, never having seen a Frenchman before, could not 
apparently see enough of them. At length they 
reached the lodge of the Grand Sachem, who stood in 
his doorway holding his calumet, or peace pipe, towards 
the sun. 

" Welcome, my white brothers," said he. " Wel- 
come to the land of the Illinois." 

Marquette stepped for\vardj and, presenting the old 
man with four separate gifts of beads and of knives, 
said: 

" With this first gift, Sachem, do T march in peace 
to visit the nations on the great river, which courses to 
the sea. With this second, I declare that God, the 
mighty creator, has pity on you, and it is for you to 
acknowledge and obey him. With this third, I declare 
that the Great Chief of the French informs you that 
he has spread peace everv'where, and has overcome the 
Iroquois, the enemies of you all, and has put them down 
forever. With this fourtli I beg you to tell me the 
way to the sea, so that I can reach it without having 



FATHER MARQUETTE 373 

trouble with the nations which I must pass in order to 
reach it." 

This speech pleased the Great Sachem mightily, and 
rising, he laid his hand upon a small Indian child, say- 
ing: 

" I thank thee, Black Gown and thee, Frenchmen, 
for taking so much pains to come and visit us. Never 
has the earth been so lovely nor the sun so bright as 
today. Never has our river been so calm or so free 
from rocks, for your canoes have removed them as they 
passed. Never has our tobacco had so fine a flavor, 
nor our corn appeared so beautiful as we behold it to- 
day. Here is my son that I give thee, so that thou 
mayest know my heart. I pray thee to take pity on 
me and all my nation. Thou knowest the Great Spirit 
who has made us all, then speak thou to him and hear 
thou his words; ask thou him to give me life and 
health, and to come and dwell amongst us, that we may 
know him." 

Saying this, he gave the little Indian boy to Mar- 
quette and then presented him with a calumet, or peace 
pipe. He then urged the Frenchmen to proceed no 
farther and not to expose themselves to the dangers that 
would meet them with hostile tribes: 

" I would esteem it a great happiness to lose my life 
for the glory of Jesus Christ, — he who has made us 
all," replied Marquette. 

The old Sachem man^eled much at this answer. 

After several days of pleasant intercourse with the 
Illinois, the voyagers again took to their canoes and 
sailed southward towards the mouth of the Mississippi. 



374 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

Marquette left the little Indian boy behind him, for 
he did not wish to take him from his father. They 
had not gone very far, when they passed a rocky prom- 
ontory where two great monsters had been painted upon 
the brown stones by some Indian artist. 

" They are as large as a calf," says Marquette in his 
diary. " They have horns on their heads like those of 
a deer, a horrible look, red eyes, a beard like a tiger, 
a face somewhat like a man's, a body covered with 
scales, and so long a tail that it winds all around the 
body, passing above the head and going back between 
the legs, ending somewhat like a fish's tail. Green, 
red, and black are the colors composing this picture." 

Fortunately there were no monsters in the country 
similar to these awful pictures, and the worst that the 
explorers encountered were dangerous masses of fallen 
trees, through which the canoes had a diffcult time to 
wend a tortuous passage. 

Near the mouth of the Ohio River the Frenchmen 
passed a part of the shore much dreaded by the red- 
skins, who thought that an evil Manitou lived there, 
who devoured all travelers. The Illinois had warned 
the good priest to avoid the place. Yet the evil mon- 
ster turned out to be a small bay full of dangerous 
rocks, through which the current of the river whirled 
about with a furious commotion, driving the canoes 
through a narrow channel filled with frothing spray 
and whirling spimie. The couriers de bois sat tight, 
paddled hard, and pulled away from this peril. 

Yet death soon stared the navigators in the face, for, 
when they reached the mouth of the Arkansas, armed 



FATHER MiVRQUETTE 375 

warriors saw them, plunged into the river, and ap- 
proached the two canoes, uttering fierce battle cries. 
Others came from the bank in wooden boats, hurling 
wooden clubs at the Frenchmen. Many redskins on 
the shore seized bows and arrows, pointing them at the 
explorers in a menacing manner. It was certainly a 
ticklish position and one that called for all the pres- 
ence of mind that brave Pere Marquette possessed. 

Rising in his canoe, the good priest held up the calu- 
met, or peace pipe, which the Illinois had given him. 

It apparently had no effect on the young braves, and 
they came swimming along, knives held in their teeth, 
ready and eager for a hand-to-hand battle in the muddy 
water. 

Again the good priest raised the pipe of peace. 

This time it had some effect, for some old men on 
the bank called to the young braves to desist in their 
attack, saying: 

" Brothers, our young men shall not hurt you. 
Come ashore and we will have a big feast. Ugh! 
Ugh ! You are welcome here." 

So the voyagers heaved sighs of relief, paddled 
ashore, and had a grand banquet. !N^ext day, ten of the 
men of this tribe guided them farther down the stream, 
and introduced them to the next tribe, which lived op- 
posite the mouth of the Arkansas River. 

They seemed to like good eating as well as do the 
natives of Arkansas in our day, for they had a noble 
banquet at which was served boiled dog, roast com, and 
watermelon. 

As I have said before, Father Marquette was 



376 FAjVIOUS DISCOVERERS 

suffering much with fever. As for his companions, 
they wished to return, for, said one : " If we go far- 
ther south, some Spaniards will capture us, or we will 
be killed by fiercer Indians than we have yet met with." 

So they started to ascend the muddy river, toiling 
terribly against the current, but ever watchful of a 
night attack, and careful to sleep in the canoes, well 
away from the bank. Yet on, on, they went towards 
the north until the mouth of the river Illinois was 
reached. Into this they turned, paddled to its source, 
portaged into gray Lake Michigan, and soon were 
homeward bound for the busy post of Sault Ste. Marie. 
Marquette was quite ill with the fever and worn out 
with the exertion of the long journey, so at Green Bay 
he remained at the Jesuit mission of St. Francis 
Xavier, established there some years before. Joliet, 
on the other hand — apparently an iron man — was 
feeling splendidly. He had traveled only 2,767 miles 
in a birch canoe and was as well and hearty as when he 
had started. A true athlete, this Joliet, and one who 
must have had muscles of steel ! 

It was now September, and the explorers had been 
away for five months. It was also the time of stress 
and of storm on the Great Lakes, so it was thought best 
to pass the winter quietly at the little mission, there 
to write up the report of this wonderful journey. Both 
adventurers, therefore, sat down to rest, busying them- 
selves in editing their journals. Marquette's alone 
has been preserved; as for Joliet's, his was upset in 
his canoe, when returning to Quebec in the following 
Spring, and all of his papers were lost in the frothing 



FATHER MAEQUETTE 377 

current of the raging La Chine rapids of the Ottawa 
River, near Montreal. Marquette's account, with maps 
drawn from memory, reached bis superiors in the 
Jesuit mission at Quebec, and they are to-day of great 
interest to historians, geogi'aphers, and antiquarians. 

On the way to Green Bay, the good priest had prom- 
ised the Illinois Indians that he would return to them 
in the Spring, in order to preach the gospel. Although 
much shattered in health, because of the fever which 
had fastened itself upon him, he again started south 
in October, 1674. Dismissing his great accomplish- 
ment from his mind, again he turned to teach the sav- 
ages the words of Christ. Eeaching the Chicago 
Eiver, he found it covered with ice, so he remained at 
a poor log cabin, near the shore of Lake Michigan. He 
was ill, but brave, and, when the warm breath of Spring 
again brought tassels to the willows, this noble priest 
of God pushed southward to the country of the friendly 
Illinois. 

The redskins loved the peaceful soldier of the cross 
and welcomed him, " as an angel from Heaven." 
Easter time soon came, and a great service was held for 
the red men and their wives and children. First the 
priest presented the chiefs with gifts of wampum to 
attest his love and the importance of his mission, then 
he explained the doctrine of Christianity and his reason 
for journeying to this wild and distant land. " I can- 
not stay longer," he said, in conclusion, " but the peace 
of God be with you." 

The children of the forest listened to him with great 
joy and appreciation, and, at the conclusion of his ad- 



378 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

dress, begged him to return to them again. They es- 
corted him to his canoe with great pomp and ceremony, 
many of the warriors accompanying him for thirty 
miles. Then they waved "good-bye" saying: "Come 
again to us, good father, for we love you right well. 
Come again, for you are truly a brother of the Great 
Spirit." 

Alas ! the good priest's strength now began to fail 
him and he became so ill and weak that he had to be 
carried by his faithful attendants. The season was 
stormy, and, as the Frenchmen paddled northward 
towards Green Bay, they had to wait in the land-locked 
harbors of the St. Joseph River, the Kalamazoo, the 
Grand, and the Muskegon. The white-caps raged on 
Lake Michigan, so that it was not safe for the frail 
birch-bark canoe to venture upon the tossing waves. 

Poor Father Marquette! your journeys are almost 
over! Ill, weak, exhausted, the gentle priest had to be 
carried upon the shoulders of his faithful couriers de 
hois. 

" Take me to the shore," he said, weakly. " Build 
me a cabin and let me there give up my soul to Christ. 
I cannot live much longer and it is well. God's will be 
done." 

Near the present city of Ludington, upon a plot of 
rising ground, the expiring Marquette selected a place 
to die. His companions made a rude, log cabin, laid 
him upon a bed of evergreens, over which were stretched 
his blankets, and, as the white-breasted woodthrush 
sang a soft cadence from the branch of the wild, apple 
tree, the gentle soul of the explorer and Jesuit Mission- 



FATHER MARQUETTE 379 

ary went to the Great Beyond. His rough boatmen 
clustered about him with tears in their eyes, and they 
have said that, as the noble man-of-God awaited Death, 
his countenance beamed and was aglow with the spark 
of a curious and brilliant radiance. 

Spring came. Some Huron Indians, whom Mar- 
quette had instructed at his mission at La Pointe, heard 
of his death and burial as they were returning from a 
hunt in the vast woods of northern Michigan, They 
sought the grave of this good man, whom they had so 
tenderly loved. With reverent hands they removed 
him from his forest sepulchre, carried him to their 
canoe, and started back to the little chapel which he had 
built at St. Ignace. 

Thirty canoes formed a funeral procession which 
passed along the Great Lakes for nearly two hundred 
and fifty miles. When the mission was reached, the 
cortege approached the land, where a vast concourse of 
Indians, trappers, soldiers, priests, and half-breeds, 
paid reverence to this sweet-souled Jesuit missionary. 
Here, in the little church, he was laid to rest, and here, 
in 1877, a splendid monument was erected to the mem- 
ory of that noble Christian gentleman, who had floated 
down the turbid current of the Mississippi in a memo- 
rable journey of exploration. Pax vohi&cum, Pere 
Marquette! 



THE BUKIAL OF GOOD FATHER 
MAliQUETTE. 

Lift him gently, redskirmed brothers, let no voice dis- 
turb his rest, 

Peace is here, the great blue heron wings his way from 
out the West. 

The tiny wren is gently trilling; the swallow dips and 
darts around, 

As the veery carols sweetly : " True ! His equal 
ne'er'll be found." 

Softly, softly, tread so lightly, to the border of the lake ; 
Bow your heads and keep the silence, as the bending 

branches shake. 
Place him in the birch barque's bottom, cover him with 

blankets fine, 
Paddle gently, oh, so gently, as the wind sobs through 

the pine. 

Yea! the wind speaks, and it whispers, as the cortege 

wanders past, 
" Marquette ! Marquette ! Son of Jesus ! You have 

reached the land of rest! 
In the Kingdom of the Blessed, in the Vale of shadows 

dim, 
Marquette! Marquette! Son of Jesus! You will 

rest at last with Him." 

380 



FATHER MARQUETTE 381 

And the wild goose — Old Shebogah — honks a paean 

from the skj, 
Saying : " Farewell, farewell, brother, would that I, 

myself could die. 
So that I could wander with you through the vale of 

shadowy years, 
Would that I could traverse with you, through the mist 

of golden years 1 " 

And the squirrel — little Ooquah — chatters shrilly 

from the glade ; 
" Farewell ! Farewell ! Father, when you are gone 

I'll be afraid. 
Yea, I'll hide from men and maidens, for my friend 

has passed away, 
Farewell ! Farewell ! Father ! Sad the scene and 

sad the day ! " 

And the beaver, sleek and square-tailed, casts his brown 
eyes on the lake, 

Sobbing, mutt'ring ; " Farewell ! Father ! All my 
kin obeisance make. 

You, a good man, never harmed us; you, a brave man, 
never killed ; 

Farewell ! Farewell ! Father 1 Man of God in kind- 
ness skilled." 

And the blue jay — bad Mootsito — scolding cries out 

from the oak, 
"Good night! Good night! Father! Would that I 

could be your cloak. 



382 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

Would that I could travel with you, would that I could 

shield from harm, 
Good night I Farewell ! Father ! The woods are 

cold. They've lost their charm." 

Gently! Gently! Paddling northward, past the shal- 
low pebbled bays, 

See the cortege wanders slowly, near the scenes of other 
days, 

When the good priest taught the Hurons how to live in 
peace and love. 

Taught them how to like each other, true to Him who 
is above. 

So they journey, while the forest echoes vnth the psalm 

of Death, 
So they journey, sad and lonely, 'midst the balsam's 

balmy breath. 
Then, at last, they reach the Mission, here sad rites 

they chant for him 
Who has led them gently onward, through the glades 

of ignorance dim. 

Trappers, soldiers, priests and redskins, bare their 

heads at St. Ignace, 
Weeping, sobbing, bid him " Farewell ! " he, the leader 

of their race. 
Weeping, sobbing, cry out: " Vale! " While the heron 

wings away. 
Croaking: "Good night, good night, Father! Sad the 

scene and sad the day ! " 



ROBERT DE LA SALLE: 

FRENCH ADVENTURER, AND EXPLORER OF 
THE VALLEY OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 

(1643-1687) 



From Tadoussac the eagles scream; their wild cries 

sound alarming, 
As up the stream a vessel sails, her steersman a Prince 

Charming. 
A mxin of iron — valiant, strong, his name the Sieur 

La Salle, 
Who loved the hemlock forests from Lachine to 

Roherval. 
Alas! he ventured to the West where redskins wish to 

kill. 
There left his hones — 'neath barren stones — icl>c.<' 

Frenchmen wander still. 



ROBERT DE LA SALLE: 

FRENCH ADVENTURER, AND EXPLORER OF 
THE VALLEY OF THE MISSISSIPPI. 

(1643-1687) 

WHILE good Father Marquette was gliding 
over the muddied waters of the Mississippi, 
gazing at wonderful sights which no French- 
man had dreamed of heretofore, a man lived upon the 
banks of the St. Lawrence who brooded over proj- 
ects of peril and adventure and gazed wistfully to- 
wards the Far West. This was no other than Robert, 
Chevalier de La Salle, a Frenchman who had come to 
Canada about the year 1667. He had been bom at 
Rouen, in Normandy, of a noble family, and had been 
well educated in a Jesuit seminary. 

Urged onward by a desire for both adventure and 
money, this vigorous young blade emigrated to Can- 
ada. Here he traveled up and down the great river 
St. Lawrence from Tadoussac to Sault Ste. Marie, and 
busied himself in trading European merchandise for 
beaver, bear, and other skins. He built houses for the 
storage of furs and merchandise, made excursions 
among the Indian tribes bordering on the shore of Lake 
Ontario, and penetrated as far as the Huron country 
in the north, where he lived for some time among the 

386 



386 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

redskins, learning their life, their manners, and their 
language. 

Perhaps some of you have taken the steamer at To- 
ronto, have threaded your way among the beautiful 
Thousand Isles, and have shot through the foaming 
spray of the Lachine rapids, before reaching the city 
of Montreal. This seething cataract was named by the 
adventurous La Salic, for he hoped to find the St. Law- 
rence leading into the China Sea, and, to conmiemorate 
this anticipation, called the trading station, upon the 
Island of Montreal — La Chine (or the China) a name 
which has fastened itself to the rapids, and a name 
which it has borne to the present day. 

Here the adventurous Frenchman was resting when 
word was brought to him of the expedition of Mar- 
quette and Joliet. He felt certain that the Mississippi 
discharged itself into the great Gulf of Mexico, a fact 
which inflamed his desire to complete the discovery of 
that mighty watercourse. He wished to found colonies 
upon its banks and to open up new avenues of trade 
between France and the vast countries of the West. 
Nor did he lose his visions of China and Japan. 
From the head-waters of the Mississippi, he still hoped 
to find a passage to those distant countries, and thus, 
stirred with ideas of conquest and glory for his be- 
loved France, he made a voyage to his native shores to- 
wards the end of the year 1677, hoping to gain assist- 
ance from the King for his ambitious designs. 

The French monarch gave a ready ear to the talk of 
the venturesome Canadian. He was authorized to push 
his discoveries as far as he chose to the westward, and 



ROBERT DE LA SALLE 387 

to build forts wherever he should think proper. In or- 
der to meet the large expense of his labors he was given 
the exclusive traffic in buffalo sking. Yet he was also 
forbidden to trade with the Ilurous and other Indians, 
who usually brought furs to Montreal, for fear that he 
would interfere with the established traders and incur 
their jealousy and displeasure. 

La Salle had the true love of adventure, a passion 
for exploring unknown lands, and an ambition to build 
up a great name for himself which should rival that of 
the early discoverers and conquerors of the !New World. 
He wished, in fact, to die great. Let us see how he 
succeeded ! 

Two months after receiving this patent, the adven- 
turer sailed from the shores of France, accompanied by 
the Chevalier Tonty, the Sieur de La Motte, and a pilot, 
ship-carpenters, mariners and other persons, about 
thirty in all. He had also a quantity of arms and am- 
munition, with a store of anchors, cordage, and other 
materials necessary for rigging the small vessels which 
he had determined to construct for the navigation of 
the lakes. 

He arrived at Quebec near the end of September; 
but here he remained no longer than was necessary to 
arrange his affairs, for he hastened forward, passed up 
the dangerous rapids of the St. Lawrence in canoes, 
and at length reached Fort Frontenac, which he had 
erected at the eastern extremity of Lake Ontario, where 
the St. Lawrence issues from that great, blue inland 
sea. 

La Salle was eager for exploration. Busily he pre- 



388 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

pared to build and equip a vessel above the Falls of 
Niagara, so that he could navigate the upper lakes. 
His men worked hard and had, before long, fitted out 
a brigantine of ten tons in which they stowed away 
everything needed for the construction of a second ves- 
sel. This barque had been made at Fort Frontenac, 
the year before, with two others, which were used for 
bringing supplies. It was a small boat, but was suit- 
able for the purpose. 

In order to have any success in building a fort and 
a ship on the waters of the Niagara River, it was nec- 
essary to have the good will of the red men who lived 
in the surrounding country. The Senecas here had 
their hunting grounds, and they were a powerful tribe, 
excellent in the hunting field, bloodthirsty on the field 
of war. So La Motte had orders from La Salle to go 
on an embassy to this nation, to hold a council with the 
chiefs, explain his object, and gain their consent. 

With some well-armed men, La Motte consequently 
traveled about thirty miles through the woods, and 
came, at length, to the great village of these redskins. 
Before a roaring council fire, around which the In- 
dians gathered with their usual grave and serious 
countenances, both white men and red delivered many 
speeches. The French promised to establish a black- 
smith at Niagara, who should repair the guns of the 
red men, and, as a result of this guarantee, the Senecas 
gave them permission to establish a trading place and 
fort in the wilderness. Well satisfied with the mis- 
sion. La Motte and his companions went back to 
Niagara. 



ROBERT DE LA SALLE 389 

La Salle soon arrived, sailing thither from Fort 
Frontenac in one of his small vessels, laden with pro- 
visions, with merchandise, and materials for rigging 
the new ship: the first to glide over the waves of these 
great western lakes. In person he visited the Seneca 
Indians, and, by soft speech and flattering words, se- 
cured their friendship and good-will. 

Yet he had enemies, too, for the monopoly which he 
had gained from the government and the large scale 
upon which he conducted his affairs, raised, against 
him, a host of traducers among the traders and mer- 
chants of Canada. In order to thwart his designs, 
they told the Indians that his plans of building forts 
and ships on the border was in order to curb their 
power. Agents were sent among the redskins in oi^ 
der to sow the seeds of hostility to this ambitious 
Frenchman. 

These moves against him were well known to La 
Salle, yet it did not put an end to his plans. About 
two miles above the Falls of Niagara, he selected a 
place for a dock-yard at the outlet of a creek, on the 
western side of the Niagara River. Here the keel of 
the new vessel was laid, and, in a very short time, her 
form began to appear. An Indian woman brought 
word that a plot had been hatched to burn the vessel, 
while it was on the stocks, yet the redskins did not 
molest it, and soon she proudly glided into the water. 
She was called the Gnffin, in honor of the Count de 
Frontenac, who had two griffins upon his coat of arms. 

It was the month of August, a time of softness and 
mellow sunlight in the Canadian wilderness, when, 



390 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

bathed in a flood of radiance, the sails of the Griffm 
were spread to the winds of Lake Erie. Heretofore, 
only birch-bark canoes had floated upon the surface of 
this wind-tossed sheet of water, now a real vessel was 
plowing a westward course over the rocking billows. 
The voyage was a prosperous one, and, on the 27th. day 
of August, the little compauy of explorers, thirty-four 
in all, reached the Island of Mackinac, where the red- 
skinned denizens of the forest looked with wonder and 
amazement upon this ship, the first which they had 
ever seen, calling her the great wooden canoe. 

The Sieur de La Salle dressed himself in a scarlet 
cloak, in order to make an impression upon the red- 
skins, and, attended by some of his soldiers, made a 
visit of ceremony to the head men of the village. Here 
his missionaries celebrated mass, and here he was re- 
ceived and entertained with much civility by the red 
men. Yet, although the redskins showed him much 
courtesy on the surface, their minds had been poisoned 
by the lies which had been circulated among them by 
his enemies, and for the same reason several of his 
followers had deserted. Not deterred by this happen- 
ing, La Salle again entered his ship, hoisted sail, and 
soon was coasting along the northern borders of Lake 
Michigan. 

After a voyage of about a hundred miles the Griffin 
reached Green Bay, where anchor was cast before a 
small island at its mouth. This island was inhabited 
by Pottawattomies, and here La Salle found several 
Frenchmen, who had preceded him in birch canoes, had 
gathered a supply of stores, and had also collected a 



ROBERT DE LA SALLE 391 

vast quantity of furs. With these he loaded his ves- 
sel; sent it hack to Niagara, for the purpose of satisfy- 
ing his creditors; and ordered his navigators to return, 
as soon as possible, and to pursue their voyage to the 
mouth of the Miami River at the south-eastern ex- 
tremity of Lake Michigan. 

The adventurers nov7 remaining consisting of four- 
teen persons, who were soon paddling down the west 
shore of Lake Michigan in four bark canoes, laden with 
carpenters' tools, a blacksmith's forge, merchandise, 
and arms. After a stormy passage, they reached the 
mouth of the Miami River, since called the St. Joseph. 
Winter was approaching, hostile natives were near, so 
La Salle determined to build a fort. A hill was se- 
lected as the proper position for the stockade, the 
bushes were chopped down and logs were cut and hewn, 
so that a breast-work could be constructed, inclosing 
a space about eighty feet long, by forty broad. It was 
surrounded by palisades and was called Fort Miami. 

All hands were thus kept busy during the month of 
November. In spite of this occupation, the men were 
very discontented, for they had no other food but the 
flesh of bears, which some Indian hunters killed in the 
woods. The Frenchmen did not like this, and wished 
to go into the woods in order to hunt deer and other 
game. This permission was refused by La Salle, as 
he saw that they were more bent upon desertion than 
upon assisting in improving the larder. 

As they thus grumbled and worked at the edge of 
the wilderness, the Chevalier de Tonty came down the 
lake with two canoes well stocked with deer which he 



392 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

had recently killed. Hurrah ! Here was a different 
kind of meat, at last, and this cheered the spirits of all 
the company. Yet there was bad news, also, for the 
good Chevalier brought word of the total loss of the 
ship which had brought them hither. No sight had 
ever been had of her, and, although the red men, who 
lived along the shores of Lake Michigan were closely 
questioned, no one brought any word of the ill-fated 
Griffin, which doubtless had been swallowed up by the 
waves of Lake Michigan, while on her way from the 
island of Mackinac. La Salle was much distressed, 
yet he had become accustomed to the buffeting of ill 
fortune in the wilderness, and, consequently turned 
again towards the wilderness with renewed courage 
and resolution to go onward, to explore, and to bring 
back news of these virgin forests and this interesting 
country. 

An Indian hunter, who had been sent out to look 
for deer, came and told them where there was a port- 
age to the headwaters of the Kankakee River. So, 
desirous of moving onward, they followed him down 
stream and paddled for a hundred miles on the muddy 
waters, which wound through marshes and a dense 
growth of tall rushes and alder bushes. The ad- 
venturers became much in need of provisions, for at 
this season the buffalo had traveled south ; yet, they 
succeeded in killing two deer, several wild turkeys, and 
a few swans. Providence also came to their relief, for 
a stray buffalo was found sticking fast in a marsh, and 
it was therefore captured with ease. 

At length the canoes floated upon the waters of the 



ROBERT DE LA SALLE 393 

Illinois River, and, as they paddled onward, the voy- 
agers came upon an Indian village where were great 
quantities of corn. The inhabitants had departed upon 
a hunt, so the ravenous Frenchmen appropriated a large 
store of grain for their own use. They kept on their 
way, reached a great lake, called Lake Peoria, and 
found a second Indian village upon the bank, the in- 
habitants of which met them with great friendliness 
and good will. 

Here La Salle decided to build a fort. It was named 
Fort Crevecoeur, or the Broken Heart, so called be- 
cause of the sadness which he had experienced at the 
loss of the good ship Griffin. The men also constructed 
a brigantine, forty-two feet long and twelve feet broad, 
in which it was hoped to make further discoveries in 
the Mississippi. When it had been completed, a priest, 
called Father Hennepin, was sent down the Illinois 
River to make further explorations, not in this boat, 
but in a canoe, accompanied by two Frenchmen and an 
Indian; while La Salle, himself, determined to begin 
an overland journey to Fort Frontenac, assisted by 
three Frenchmen and an Indian hunter. The Cheva- 
lier de Tonty was left in command of the fort, with 
sixteen men and two missionaries. 

La Salle had quite an undertaking before him, but 
he did not quail. He was to travel over land, and on 
foot, through vast forests and through bogs and 
morasses, to Fort Frontenac, a distance of twelve hun- 
dred miles. He had to journey along the southern 
shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, ford numerous 
rivers and cross others on rafts, all of this in a season 



394 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

wheu suow hid the ground and floating ice rendered 
traveling most fatiguing. Nothing seemed impossible 
to his strong heart and unbending resolution. Shoul- 
dering his knapsack and musket, he bade adieu to his 
companions of the wilderness, aud set his face towards 
far distant Canada. 

No record has been preserved of the incidents of his 
long and perilous journey from the slow-moving Illinois 
to the blue and sparkling St. Lawrence. At any rate, 
he arrived without mishap at Fort Frontenac, where 
he was chagrined aud mortified to find his alfairs in a 
condition of confusion that was deplorable. His 
heaviest loss, of course, was that of the Griffin, with 
her cargo valued at twelve thousand dollars; but, be- 
sides this mishap, he found that his agents had de- 
spoiled him of all the profits of his trade. Some of 
his employees, in fact, had stolen his goods and had 
run away with them to the Dutch of New YorL A 
rumor had been circulated to the effect that he and his 
whole party had been drowned on their voyage up the 
lakes, so his creditors had seized upon his effects, and 
has wasted them by forced sales. All Canada seemed 
to have conspired against him. Many a less resolute 
heart than his own would have failed, but despair was 
never known to settle upon the mind of the Chevalier 
La Salle. He was the first Theodore Koosevelt of the 
United States. 

The adventurer had still one friend left, — Count 
Frontenac, whose influence and authority was now ex- 
erted in his favor. They discussed together the Mis- 
sissippi problem and determined to give up the plan 



ROBERT DE LA SALLE 395 

of navigating this mighty watercourse in a ship. In- 
stead, La Salle decided to prosecute his explorations 
with canoes. 

He engaged more men, left Fort Frontenac on the 
23d. day of July, 1680, and, although detained by head 
winds on Lake Ontario, reached Mackinac during the 
month of September. By offering brandy in exchange 
for Indian corn, he soon had enough to satisfy his needs, 
and, embarking on the rough waters of Lake Michi- 
gan, at length arrived at the mouth of the river Mi- 
ami. The fort which he had left there had been 
plundered and dismantled ! 

Journeying south. La Salle reached the villages of 
the Illinois, which he found had been sacked and burned 
by the Iroquois during his absence. He saw nothing 
of Tonty and those Frenchmen whom he had left be- 
hind him, a proof that they had either been killed or 
dispersed. So he returned to the Miami River and 
here spent the winter, visiting the Indian tribes near 
Lake Michigan. Here he learned that the Iroquois 
had attacked the settlements of thje Illinois with vin- 
dictive ferocity, during his absence, driving the red 
men far westward across the Mississippi. As for the 
Frenchmen, whom he had left behind him, no one 
seemed to know what had become of them. 

Towards the end of May, 1681, the vigorous ex- 
plorer left the Miami River, and, after a prosperous 
voyage, once more entered the harbor of Mackinac. 
What was his joy to here find the Chevalier Tonty and 
those Frenchmen, whom he had last seen in the wil- 
derness. They had passed through great dangers, 



396 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

but had at length escaped from the blood-thirsty Iro- 
quois and had reached the i'rench fortress, lean, hag- 
gard, but praising God that they had escaped with 
their lives. La Salle embraced them all, gave them 
presents of fire-arms and blankets, and begged them to 
accompany him again into the wilderness. 

The Chevalier was now determined to journey down 
the entire length of the Mississippi, and, with this end 
in view, took into his service a company of Frenchmen, 
together with a number of eastern Indians, Abenakis, 
and Loups, or Mahingans, as they were called by the 
French writers. Putting Fort Frontenac in command 
of the Sieur de La Forest, he journeyed by canoe to 
Niagara, where a stockade had recently been built, 
called Fort de Tonty, and thence embarked with his 
entire company in canoes for the Miami River, which 
he reached in safety. Six weeks were now spent in 
making arrangements for the great trip do\\Ti the 
river. 

There were twenty-three Frenchmen in the party, 
eighteen savages, ten Indian women, and three chil- 
dren. The redskins insisted on taking these women 
with them to prepare their food, according to their 
custom, while they were fishing and hunting. When 
all was ready the adventurers started for the mouth of 
the Chicago River, which was found to be frozen. 

Undaunted, the explorers passed doA\Ti the water- 
course on sleds, down the Illinois to Lake Peoria, and 
thence to the muddy waters of the Mississippi. They 
had a peaceful passage southward, hunting much and 
fishing in the stream, and eventually arrived at the 



ROBEET DE LA SALLE 397 

Chickasaw Bluffs. Here redskins were met with, who 
gave them kind treatment, and, pushing on, the little 
party soon arrived at a mighty village of the Arkansas 
Indians. 

These redskins were a frank and open-hearted people 
of gentle manners, and very hospitable. The Sieur de 
La Salle was treated with marked deference and re- 
spect. He took possession of the country in the name 
of the King of France, erected a cross, and adorned it 
with the arms of his native country. This was done 
with great pomp and ceremony, the savages believing 
that it was a ritual for their amusement. Two weeks 
were pleasantly spent among the red men and then the 
voyagers kept on their way. 

The journey to the mouth of the mighty water- 
course was easy and pleasant. Many Indian tribes 
were met with, but no battles occurred. Finally, on 
the 6th. day of April, the river was observed to divide 
itself into three channels, so the Sieur de La Salle sepa- 
rated his company into three divisions and, putting him- 
self at the head of one of them, he took the western 
channel, the Chevalier de Tonty the middle, and the 
Sieur Dautray the eastern. The water soon became 
brackish, then salt, until, at last, the broad ocean 
opened up before them. La Salle encamped for the 
night about twelve miles above the mouth of the west- 
ern branch, and the next day he and Tonty examined 
the shores bordering on the sea in order to ascertain 
the depth of the waters in the two principal channels. 
The day following was employed in searching for a dry 
place, removed from the tide and the inundation of the 



396 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

rivers, on which to erect a column and a cross. Next 
day this ceremony was performed. 

All the Frenchmen were drawn up under arms, while 
a column was erected with this inscription: 

"Louis the Great, King of France and Navarre, 
reigns; the 9th. of April, 1662." 

The Te Deum was now chanted and the soldiers dis- 
charged their muskets with shouts of Long Live the 
King! La Salle then made a formal speech, taking 
possession of the whole country of Louisiana for the 
French King, the nations and people contained therein, 
the seas and harbors adjacent, and all the streams llow- 
ing into the Mississippi, which he called the great 
river St. Louis. A leaden plate was then buried at 
the foot of a tree, with a Latin inscription, containing 
the arms of France and the date, and stating that La 
Salle, Tonty, Lenobe, and twenty Frenchmen were the 
first to navigate the river from the Illinois to its mouth. 
The cross was then erected with appropriate ceremonies. 
At the same time an account of these proceedings was 
drawn up, in the form of a Proces Verbal, certified by 
a Notary and signed by thirteen of the principal per- 
sons of tlie expedition. 

La Salle felt happy, for he had seen, he had come, 
he had conquered ! 

Although the journey up the Mississippi was with- 
out danger, La* Salle, when he reached the upper 
courses, was seized with a dangerous illness which made 
it impossible for him to go forward for forty days. 
The Chevalier de Tonty was dispatched to Mackinac 
in order to inform the Count de Frontenac of the par- 



ROBERT DE LA SALLE 399 

ticnlars of the voyage, and then, by slow stages, La 
Salle reached tlie Miami Kiver, where he arrived by 
the end of September. 

Tonty was faithful and accurate in executing his 
orders, so faithful that, shortly afterwards, when La 
Salle was well enough to sail for France, he left him 
in charge of all his interests during his absence. 

The explorer met with a favorable reception in the 
old world, and it was decided that an expedition 
should be fitted out, for which the Government should 
provide vessels, troops, munitions, and such other sup- 
plies as were wanted: the whole to be under his com- 
mand. He was authorized to establish colonies in 
Louisiana, and to take command of the immense coun- 
try and all of its inhabitants from Lake Michigan to 
the borders of Mexico. He was given four vessels and 
was furnished with two hundred and eighty men. 

Certainly his own government thought well of him, 
even if other people did not, so he and his men started 
for the Gulf of Mexico, determined to there found a 
colony which would perpetuate the name of France for 
all time in the Western Hemisphere. 

The history of this expedition is an iinfortunate one. 
In four vessels the adventurers crossed the ocean, in- 
tending to land at the mouth of the Mississippi. There 
were about two hundred and eighty persons in all, in- 
cluding many missionaries and soldiers, the latter being 
an assemblage of vagabonds and begcrars from the 
streets, some of whom had never handled a musket. 
The vessels touched at the island of Santo Domingo, 
then crossed over into the Gulf of Mexico, heading, ag 



iOO FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

all thought, for the mouth of the Mississippi. But 
such was uot the case, and the explorers touched land 
near the borders of Mexico, at the Magdalen River, 
where the soil was barren and sandy, and where there 
was little game. 

At different times, parties landed, hunted the wild 
buffalo, and explored the flat and somewhat desolate 
country. They constructed a fort with the timbers 
and planks of one of their ships, which floated ashore 
after the vessel went to pieces, and also with drift 
wood from the beach. After this was done, the Sieur 
de La Salle, taking fifty men with him, set out on a 
tour of discovery, finding a flat game-filled country and 
a noble river which he called the Vaches, because of 
the great numbers of wild cows, or buffaloes, seen upon 
its banks. This name it still retains. 

After a journey of considerable length, the Chevalier 
returned, built a new fort, and then set out upon an- 
other journey of discovery. Many of his men died of 
exposure and rattlesnake bites, but this never disturbed 
the even calm of his manner. He pressed on, found 
the great Colorado River, and crossed it, penetrating 
into the wilderness for many miles. After an absence 
of more than four months. La Salle was again received 
with joy by the colonists at the fort. His men were 
ragged in dress, some without hats, and all were hag- 
gard and worn by exposure. 

The Indians had always shown themselves to be 
hostile and had murdered several of the French ex- 
plorers when they had strayed away from their com- 
panies. Of the four vessels which had brought over 



ROBERT DE LA SALLE 401 

the expedition, three had returned, and the last, the 
la Belle, had been destroyed by a storm. The Sieur 
de La Salle was thus cut off from all supplies in a new 
country, two thousand miles from any civilized settle- 
ment to which he could look for succor, and surrounded 
on every side by hostile savages. It is no wonder that 
many of his followers were dissatisfied and miserably 
unhappy, some even plotted to kill their great and gal- 
lant leader. 

Of the many expeditions which I have taken into 
the wilderness, with parties of men, none has ever been 
tranquil throughout. There is always some evil dis- 
positioned fellow along, who raises a disturbance, 
makes others unhappy, and, by his surly manner, cre- 
ates uneasiness and distrust, so that all are happy when 
the settlements have been reached and the malcontents 
have been allowed to go their ways in peace. So it 
was here. There were several Frenchmen of a jealous 
and mean disposition, who, feeling ill-humored because 
of their hardships in the wilderness, felt it their duty 
to murder the only true man among them all : the val- 
iant leader. It was easy to succeed in their evil design. 

Somewhere on the Mississippi River was the Chev- 
alier Tonty, the staunch friend and companion of La 
Salle, and a man who was as brave and as valiant as 
this courageous Frenchman. Wliy not go in search of 
him ? The proposition was a good one, and La Salle 
determined to take only the bravest and the strongest; 
to travel eastward ; to reach the Mississippi, and to 
there find, if possible, his brave and noble companion- 
in-arms. 



402 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

This was a wonderful trip. The valiant Frenchman 
and his companions crossed unknown rivers, broad 
prairies, and flat plateaus. A crocodile seized one of 
the soldiers by the leg and dragged him to destruction, 
in one instance; in another, several of the French ad- 
venturers were badly gored by butfalo. 

La Salle finally reached the land of the Cencis In- 
dians, the future home of many a Daniel Boone, a per- 
fect paradise for the sportsman and a land of noble 
rivers, beautiful valleys, and much wild game. He 
was charmed with it, he reveled in its scenery, its beau- 
tiful valleys, its wonderful water courses, yet, here it 
was that he was to meet his end, an event as sad and 
tragic as any of the great events of American history. 

On the 15th. day of March, 1687, the adventurers 
came to a place where the Sieur de La Salle had buried 
a quantity of Indian corn and beans on his last jour- 
ney, and he ordered his follovrers, Duhaut, Hiens, Lio- 
lot, Larcheveque, Teissier, I^ika, and his footman Saget, 
to go and bring it away. They found the place, but 
the com and the beans were spoiled. Nika was for- 
tunate in killing two buffalo, and the others dispatched 
Saget to inform the commander of this fact, and re- 
quested him to send horses for the meat. La Salle, 
consequently, directed Moraquet, De !Marle, and Saget 
to return with horses and to send back one of them 
loaded with the flesh of the buffalo, for iromediate use, 
and to wait until the rest was dried. 

Moraquet arrived, found that the meat had been 
smoked, though it was not dry enough for this process, 
and Duhaut and the others had laid aside certain parts 



ROBERT DE LA SALLE 403 

to be roasted for themselves, which, it seems, was the 
custom on similar occasions. Moraquet, in a passion- 
ate manner, reprimanded them for what thej had done, 
and took away, not only the smoked meat, but the 
pieces which they had reserved, saying, in a menacing 
tone: 

'' Comrades, I will do with it as I please ! " 

This irritated the rest. Duhaut had an old grudge 
against Moraquet, and was quite ready to take revenge. 
He brought over Liolot and Hiens to help him ac- 
complish his purpose, and finally the others, and they 
determined to murder Moraquet, Nika and Saget. In 
the night, when the unsuspecting victims were asleep, 
they were butchered with an ax. 

The bloody work had commenced, why not let it con- 
tinue? The conspirators laid a scheme, on the spot, 
to destroy the Sieur de La Salle. They would shoot 
him. 

Meantime, the courageous leader of the expedition 
expressed anxiety at the long absence of Moraquet, 
and seemed to have forebodings of some unhappy event. 
He feared, indeed, that the whole party might have 
been cut off by the savages. He determined, finally, 
to go in search of them, leaving the camp on the 19th. 
day of March, in charge of Jontel. With Father An- 
astase, and two natives who had served him as guides, 
he started out to look for his companions in arms. 

The valiant French explorer traveled for about six 
miles, when he found the bloody cravat of Saget, one 
of the murdered men, near the bank of a river, and, 
at the same time, two eagles were seen hovering over 



404 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

their heads, as if attracted by food somewhere on the 
ground. 

La Salle thought that the party must be near, and 
fired his gun to draw the attention of those whom he 
wished to find. Duhaut and Larcheveque immedi- 
ately came across the river and advanced to meet him. 
La Salle approached, saying: 

" Wliere is the good Moraquet ? Has anything hap- 
pened to him I " 

" He is along the river," answered Larcheveque. 

At that moment, Duhaut, who was concealed in the 
high grass, discharged his musket, and shot the un- 
suspecting Chevalier through the head. He fell for- 
ward upon his face, and Father Anastase, who was 
standing at his side, expected to share the same fate, 
until the conspirators told him that they had no design 
upon his life. 

La Salle lived for about an hour, unable to speak, 
but continually pressed the hand of the good priest to 
signify that he understood what was said to him. 
Finally he passed away, and was buried by the kind 
father, who shed tears over the body of this brave and 
valiant adventurer. 

Thus perished the wise Chevalier: generous, engag- 
ing, adroit, skillful, and capable of any accomplish- 
ment. He died in the full vigor of life, in the midst 
of his career and his labors, without the consolation 
of having seen the results of his great explorations. 
In some of the higher attributes of character, such as 
personal courage and endurance, undaunted resolution, 
patience under trials, and perseverance in contending 



ROBERT DE LA SALLE 405 

with obstacles and struggling through embarrassments 
that might appall the stoutest heart, there is, I believe, 
no man who surpassed this Sieur de La Salle. He 
was cool and intrepid at all times, never yielding for a 
moment to despair, or even to despondency, and he 
bore the heavy burden of his responsibilities manfully 
until the end. To him and to good Father Marquette 
must be mainly ascribed the discovery of the vast re- 
gions of the Mississippi Valley and its subsequent oc- 
cupation and settlement by the French. His name 
must therefore always hold a high position among those 
adventurous souls who struggled to conquer, to col- 
onize, and to explore the vast American Continent, 
when it was a wilderness inhabited by wild men and 
wild beasts, and unknown to those of a white com- 
plexion. 



A SONG OF THE MISSISSIPPI 

Down where the muddied waters run and boil in a 

rushing flood, 
On the banks of the stream, as if in a dream, a stalwart 

Frenchman stood. 
^Vnd the mocking bird from a blossoming sprav sang 

a song which was joyous and gay ; 
As the welcoming sun shone on cutlass and gun, these 

words he trilled through the day: 

'' La Salle! La Salle! hrave La Salle! 
You're a muti of France, I know. 
La Salle! La Salh! good La Salle! 
You can shoot ivith the gun and the how. 
La Salle! La Salle! true La Salle! 
I salute your courage and love. 
Far the lilies of France, may they wave, may they 
dance, o'er this watery waste from above." 

And the Frenchman raised hia eyes on high and sighed 
as he gazed afar, 

Where the buffalo grunted and roared on the plain, and 
the dim-colored prong-horns are. 

And he swore an oath, it was round and long, to pro- 
tect this land for France, 

By hook and crook, by sword and book, by pike and 

silvery lance. 

40« 



ROBERT DE LA SALLE 407 

" La Salle! La Salle! brave La Salle! " 

Sang the bird on the wauitig branch, 

" La Salle! La Salle! good La Salle! 

You're a soldier true and staunch. 

take this land, with its silvery sand, for the King 

and Queen you serve; 
And bring us peace; make the redskins cease. 
From warfare make them swerve." 

So the Frenchman stayed, and his men were afraid 
to leave the land he'd found, 

Yet they hated their leader hold and brave, and de- 
termined to have him downed. 

And they hatched a plot, the bloodthirsty lot, to shoot 
the bold and good, 

Alas ! 'twas sad that men were so bad, for they killed 
him where he stood. 

And the Mississippi gurgled on ; it romped, it waved, 

it ran. 
It pushed by silvery beaches, and it curled by the homes 

of man, 
While the mocker sat on the whispery branch, it sang 

and caroled away : 

"La Salle! La Salle! brave La Salle! 
Too bad! Too bad! Good day!" 



ROBERT EDWIN PEARY: 

DISCOVERER OF THE NORTH POLE. 
(1856 — ) 



Where the green bergs go careening past. 

And the white bears gambol and fight, 
Where the little auks whimper and whisper a tale 

Of the Ice King's palace of white. 
Where the musk-oxen frisk and frolic. 

Where the walrus fondles his mate, 
*Tis there that a man, who was built on a plan 

Of steel, went forth to his fate. 

O'er the glittering hills of the icepack. 

O'er the floe and the treacherous lead. 
The brown dogs hauUd the loaded sledge 

With courage and quickening speed. 
With Eskimos tried and trusted. 

With a negro of steadfast soul. 
He shook out the fla/j of the U. S. A. 

And pUiced it on top of the Pole. 



I 



ROBERT EDWIN PEARY: 

DISCOVERER OF THE NORTH POLE. 

(1S56 — ) 

MAGINE the sensation which was caused when 
there suddenly appeared in the newspapers the fol- 
lowing telegram: 



"April the 6th., 1909. Stars and Stripes nailed 
to the Pole. 

Peaey." 

People were astonished and looked amazed. Could 
it be possible that the North Pole had at last been dis- 
covered, after hundreds of years of effort upon the part 
of numerous adventurers, many of whom had never 
come back to tell the tale? Was it true that, after 
twenty-three years of effort, Commander Peary had at 
last reached the most northern point upon the earth's 
surface? Yes, it seemed to be the fact. At last the 
North Pole had been trod upon by the foot of a white 
man. 

Instantly the news was scattered from St. John's, 
New Bnmswick, and from New York, to the four 
corners of the plobe, and a great shout of enthusiastic 
congratulation went up from every place where civi- 

411 



412 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

lized men were gathered together, for all the world had 
been watching the plucky commander of the United 
States Navy, who, for twenty-three years, had been 
working upon the problem of how to reach the North 
Pole. " Hurrah ! Hurrah for Peary ! " was heard 
on every side. " He has been victorious where hun- 
dreds have failed. Again Hurrah ! " 

Those who disbelieved the first telegram were soon 
assured by others that the Pole had really been reached, 
for Mr. Herbert L. Bridgman, Secretary of the Peary 
Arctic Club, was telegraphed to as follows: 

" Pole reached. Roosevelt safe. 

Peaby." 

And, still later, the Commander's devoted wife at 
South Harpswell, Maine, received the message: 

" Have made good at last. I have the old Pole. 
Am well. Love. Will wire again from Chateau. 

Beet." 

Now there could be no doubt that the great feat had 
really been accomplished and soon a wireless message 
from Indian Harbor, Labrador, told that the good ship 
Roosevelt was there with all safe on board, and was 
steaming southward as fast as she was able. 

At length she arrived at New York. A throng of 
newspapermen and citizens gathered immediately 
around the bold explorer, who, with his companions, 
was given a royal welcome home. This was as it 




Cor 



Koltl.Kl KDWI.N TKAKV 



EGBERT EDWIN PEARY 413 

ahould have been, for Peary was the only man who had 
really stood upon the very top of this sphere upon 
which we live. 

Kobert Edwin Peary, who " nailed the Stars and 
Stripes to the North Pole," was born in Cresson, Penn- 
sylvania, May 6th., 1856. When still a mere lad he 
moved to Portland, Maine, and, after studying in pri- 
vate schools and an academy in North Bridgton, Maine, 
he entered Bowdoin College, graduating in 1877. He 
now became a draughtsman in the U. S. Coast and 
Geodetic Survey, then passed a stiff examination and 
entered the United States Navy as a Civil Engineer, 
ranking as a Lieutenant. In 1884, or three years later, 
he was an assistant government engineer in the surveys 
for the proposed route for the Nicaragua Canal, in- 
venting several rolling locks for the use of the work- 
men. He became engineer-in-chief of the Nicaragua 
Survey. 

About this time he began to have ideas connected 
with the search for the North Pole, and, obtaining a 
short leave of absence, made a trip into Greenland, ac- 
companied by a Dane called Margaard. A faithful 
negro, named Matthew Henson, who had served with 
him in Nicaragua, followed him to the Arctic on this 
trip, and continued to be with him upon all his sub- 
sequent expeditions. 

Upon his return to civilization, the explorer immedi- 
ately began to spend his spare time in preparing for 
another expedition to the north. He married, mean- 
while, Miss Josephine Diebitsch whom he had met in 
Maine when a young man. 



414 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

In 1891-92 he again made a trip into the frozen 
fastnesses of the polar region, which was financed by 
the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. 
The Expedition was thoroughly organized before the 
men started north, and supplies were left at conven- 
ient points, so that starvation would not kill ofiF the 
adventurers as it had done to so many other explorers. 

Establishing headquarters at McCormick Bay, on 
the western coast of Greenland, Peary and his men 
made sledge excursions along Whale Sound, Inglefield 
Gulf, and Humboldt Glacier, proving that the coasts 
of Greenland converged at the northern portion, doubt- 
less forming an island of what was thought to be a 
peninsula. Although his leg was broken when crossing 
Melville Bay, the brave explorer persisted in his work, 
and returned in September, 1892, with a brilliant rec- 
ord of results accomplished. 

With one companion, Astrup, he had ascended to 
the summit of the great ice cap which covers the in- 
terior of Greenland, 5,000 to 8,000 feet in elevation, 
and had pushed northward for 500 miles over a region 
where no white man had ever been before. The tem- 
perature was from 10 degrees to 50 degrees below zero. 
On July 4th., 1892, he discovered Independence Bay, 
and found a valley nearby, which was radiant with 
gorgeous flowers and was alive with murmuring bees. 
Here also were many musk-oxen, browsing lazily upon 
the long, rank grasses. 

The explorer now determined to spend his life in an 
attempt to reach the Pole, which lay 396 geographical 
miles farther north than any man had yet penetrated 



ROBERT EDWIN PEARY 415 

on the western hemisphere. He was convinced that 
the only way to eventually reach his goal was by adopt- 
ing the manner of life, the food, the snowhouses, and 
the clothing of the Eskimos, who had learned how to 
combat the rigors of Arctic weather by centuries of 
experience. He must also utilize the game of the 
northland, the walrus, the musk-oxen, and the reindeer, 
in order to keep his men in fit condition and of good 
temper when the long winter night came upon them. 
Lastly he must train the Eskimos so that they should 
become his sledging crew. 

The first north polar expedition lasted for four years, 
from 1898 to 1902, and Peary failed to get nearer than 
343 miles of the Pole. Each year dense packs of ice 
blocked his passage to the polar ocean and he was com- 
pelled to make his base 700 miles from the Pole, or 
200 miles south of the headquarters of Nares, from 
which point he could reach the Pole in one season. 
But during this period, he explored and mapped hun- 
dreds of miles of the coastline of Greenland and of the 
islands to the west and north. 

The navigator and explorer now designed and con- 
structed the Roosevelt, a boat built to withstand the 
crush of the masses of ice, and with this he battled a 
way to the desired haven upon the shores of the polar 
sea. From this place he made a wonderful march to 
the point 87° 6', or nearer to the Pole than any man 
had ever been. He would have reached the Pole, this 
time, but winds of excessive fury opened great leads 
and robbed him of the prize and nearly of his own life. 
This was in 1906. 



416 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

Commander Peary was now resolved to make his 
next advance upon the Pole by the same route as he 
had just used. His previous efforts had been financed 
by Mr. Morris K. Jessup, whose interest in Polar ex- 
plorations, and faith in Peary, made him willing at all 
times to furnish whatever money the Commander re- 
quired. But the kind Mr. Jessup was now dead and 
the explorer knew that he would have a difficult 
time to raise the funds to equip another expedi- 
tion. 

Commander Peary had established a training school 
for the Eskimos and their dogs at Etah, and he now 
learned of the departure of Dr. Frederick A. Cook, 
who had served with him upon a previous expedition, 
and Mr. John R. Bradley, a noted sportsman, to this 
point. He knew that these men might use his Eskimo 
friends, with their dogs, for a " dash " to the Pole, 
while he was held behind a prisoner in New York, 
because of the lack of funds. Yet, what could he do 
without the money ? 

The Roosevelt was in bad shape and needed over- 
hauling. She was built in Maine by the Peary Arctic 
Club for the expedition of 1905 and was designed by 
the explorer himself. She was a three-masted, fore- 
and-aft schooner-rigged steamship, built entirely of 
white oak with treble frames close together, double 
planked. Her walls were 24 to 30 inches thick. Her 
heavy bow was backed by 12 feet of solid deadwood. 
Her keel was 16 inches thick and was reenforced with 
false keels and a keelson. Her stern, reenforced by 
iron, had a long overhang to protect the rudder from 



ROBERT EDWIN PEARY 417 

the ice, and the rudder itself was so arranged that it 
could be lifted out of the water, when jammed or en- 
tangled. 

It was out of the question to go in 1907, but, by the 
next season a great deal of work had been done and 
sufficient funds had been secured to make the good, old 
ship strong and ready again, and to fill her with neces- 
sary stores. A crew was secured, presents for the Es- 
kimos were on board, and material for sledges, dog 
harness, guns, ammunition, and scientific instruments. 
The ship's sides were strengthened, her machinery was 
made as good as new, and so, at last, she steamed up 
the East River, outward bound. 

On July 7th., 1908, she stopped near Sagamore Hill, 
Long Island, the home of the then President Roosevelt, 
and the chief Executive grasped the explorer by the 
hand, bidding him : " Good luck and God speed ! " 

The voyager replied that he had never before felt 
so confident of winning the Pole and would reach it, 
this time, or " bust." 

Mr. Roosevelt laughed and waved " good-bye," as 
the staunch craft, which bore his name, plowed forth 
into the Atlantic. 

Reaching Etah in safety, a number of Eskimos were 
taken on board, and, pointing her nose toward the 
north, the Roosevelt disappeared into a murky fog. A 
ship called the Erih was nearby, and soon returned to 
civilization with the last words from Peary and hi» 
men. This was in August, 1908. 

Meanwhile, the Roosevelt was steadily pushed north- 
ward, through the defiles of Kennedy and Robeson 



418 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

channels, where the moving ice opened here and there 
and allowed the vessel to steal between the floes. Three 
weeks later the Arctic Ocean came in sight. Entering 
it, the steamer was turned to the left and was pushed 
along the coast as rapidly as could be done against the 
ice pack. Commander Peary meant, if possible, to 
reach Cape Columbia, a headland well to the west and 
on the north coast of Grant Land. Yet he could not 
do this, for the ice, which pressed against the promon- 
tory of Cape Sheridan, shut off any progress beyond 
that point. Thus, on the first day of September, the 
Roosevelt was laid to in a snug harbor under the pro- 
tection of Cape Sheridan, and the crew went into win- 
ter quarters. 

The men amused themselves hunting polar bears, 
musk-oxen, and caribou during the long months which 
had to be passed before the " dash " could be attempted. 
The continuous night at length wore itself to a close, 
and, in February, the first gray light of the approach- 
ing Arctic dawn began to dispel the darkness. 

Upon the fifteenth of that month, 1009, a sledging 
expedition left the ship in the direction of Cape Co- 
lumbia, which was to be the base camp in the " dash " 
for the goal of Peary's ambition. This overland trip 
consumed a fortnight, Cape Columbia being reached 
on March 1st. Here the adventurers were 420 miles 
from the !N'orth Pole in a straight line, and, with 
parties to support him and leave food, the daring Peary 
now started towards the top of the earth. In order to 
get away from open water he had gone far westward 
in the effort to avoid the usual eastward drift of the 



ROl^ERT EDWIN PEARY 419 

polar ice and opeu water, which would defeat his 
eiforts. 

At last he was off. Open leads — cracks in the ice 
filled with water — delayed him greatly during the first 
ten days of the expedition, so that by March the eleventh 
the party had only reached the 84th. parallel. He 
kept on, found the ice more even, and by the seven- 
teenth, had reached the eighty-sixth. On the twenty- 
third of that month he outdistanced the best record of 
a N^orwegian, that of Nansen. Here his last support- 
ing party was sent back, the leader of which, Professor 
Ross G. Marvin of Cornell University, lost his life by 
drowning in an open lead, April the tenth. 

The chosen few, gaunt, hollow-eyed, and energetic, 
pressed towards their goal, and, on March the 24th., 
the best Italian record was distanced. On, on, they 
crept over the icepack, the dogs trotting along briskly, 
and pulling the little sledges slowly but surely towards 
the apex of the earth. Living on pemmican (dried 
meat, sugar, and raisins) and tea, the leader and his 
companions kept up both their strength and their 
spirits. On March 27th., the 87th. parallel was passed, 
and on the 28th. Peary's own record of " farthest 
north " was distanced. The goal was near and con- 
fidence increased with every mile of the advance. 

When traveling in this region, heretofore, the gal- 
lant explorer had been often hindered by leads of open 
water and massive hummocks of ice. Fate was now 
propitious and the ice seemed to be more flat and solid 
than Peary had ever experienced before. On April 
2nd., the 88th. parallel was crossed. Two days later 



420 fa:\ious discoverers 

the 89th. parallel was left behind, and in two days 
more, on April the sixth, the little party reached the 
center of the northern hemisphere, and Commander 
Peary stood at the North Pole. Hurray! Hurray I 
The goal had been reached! 

With the explorer were four trusted Eskimos and 
the negro Henson, who had been with him on every 
expedition. The Eskimos were Ooqueah, Ootah, Sec- 
glo, and Egingwah. Each of them placed a different 
flag upon an ice cap at the uttermost end of the earth. 
These were the banners of the Navy League, the D. 
K. E. Fraternity, the Red Cross Flag, the D. A. K. 
Peace Flag, and the flag of the United States carried 
by the explorer for fifteen years. All cheered for the 
Pole and for the flag, and then had a right merry feast 
upon the very apex of the earth. No ice was needed 
in the water which they drank ! 

The explorer had been so exhausted when he arrived 
at the Pole that he had to seek a few hours' sleep. Then 
he arose and wrote the following words in his diary: 

" The Pole at last. The prize of three centuries. 
My dream and goal for twenty years. Mine at last! 
I cannot bring myself to realize it. It seems all so 
simple and commonplace ! " 

Yet, here he was, and he shook hands with all the 
Eskimos, who seemed to be childishly pleased at the 
feat which they had accomplished. Again they gave 
" three times three," with a vim, for the North Pole. 

The Commander had good reason to be delighted, for, 
as he says: "For more than a score of years that 
point on the earth's surface had been the object of my 



ROBERT EDWIN PEARY 421 

every effort. To its attainment my whole being, physi- 
cal, mental and moral, had been dedicated. Many times 
my own life and the lives of those with me had been 
risked. My own material and forces and those of my 
friends had been devoted to this object. This journey 
was my eighth into the Arctic wilderness. In that 
wilderness I had spent nearly twelve years out of the 
twenty-three between my thirtieth and my fifty-third 
year, and the intervening time spent in civilized com- 
munities during that period had been mainly occupied 
with preparations for returning to the wilderness. 
The determination to reach the Pole had become so 
much a part of my being, that, strange as it may seem, 
I long ago ceased to think of myself, save as an instru- 
ment for the attainment of that end. To the layman 
this may seem strange, but an inventor can understand 
it, or an artist, or any one who has devoted himself for 
years upon years to the service of an idea." 

At about four o'clock on the afternoon of April 7th., 
the explorers turned their backs on the Pole, leaving 
with a sense of sadness, for this was certainly a scene 
which their " eye would never see again." The jour- 
ney home was fraught with danger. Would they make 
it? 

The extraordinary speed which they had made in 
reaching the Pole was exceeded in the journey home. 
In sixteen days Cape Columbia had been reached, for 
the dogs were good ones, and they averaged twenty-six 
miles of travel a day. On April the 23rd., Peary en- 
tered his *' igloo," or ice-house, at " Crane City," Cape 
Columbia. 



422 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

In one march of forty-fivo miles, Cape Hecla was 
reached, and the Roosevelt in another of equal length. 
The Commander's heart thrilled, as, rounding the point 
of the cape, he saw the little black ship lying there in 
her icy berth, with her sturdy nose pointing straight 
to the Pole. His dreadful trip was over and Victory 
perched upon the masts of the intrepid vessel. 

The ship was soon made ready for the homeward 
voyage. In ten days' time she was prepared to sail, 
and, on July 18th., with only the tragic memory of the 
lost and lamented Marvin to lessen the high spirits of 
all, the Roosevelt pulled slowly out from the cape and 
turned her nose again to the south. On September 
25th., she steamed into Indian Harbor, in Labrador, 
and the first dispatch went on the wires : " Have made 
good at last, I have the Pole." 

Yet, much of the glory of Peary's Arctic discovery 
had been spoiled by Dr. Frederick A. Cook, an im- 
postor, who had come from the north, some months 
before, had stated that he had reached the Pole, and 
had spread the news broadcast over the civilized world. 
Many had believed him, and he was given receptions, 
balls, the freedom of cities, until his records were 
found to be worthless and his story finally discredited. 
His advent into the arena at this time was most un- 
fortunate for the gallant Peary, to whom belongs all 
the glory and honor which is due a brave man who did 
a big deed. 

The Roosevelt at last reached the little town of Syd- 
ney, Cape Breton, whom Mrs. Peary and the children 
were to meet the explorer. As the vessel neared the 



ROBERT EDWIN PEARY 423 

city, the entire water-front was alive with people. The 
seaport to which the adventurous navigator had re- 
turned so many times, unsuccessful, gave him a royal 
welcome as the Roosevelt steamed into view, flying at 
her masthead a flag which had never before entered any 
port in history, — the North Pole flag. 

The success of the expedition was due to the experi- 
ence, the courage, endurance, and devotion of its mem- 
bers, who put all that there was in them into the work ; 
and to the unswerving faith and loyalty of the Peary 
Arctic Club, which furnished the funds without which 
nothing could have been accomplished. Again, three 
CHEEEs FOR Peaky ! He is a hero of whom all may be 
proud. 



THE MISTY MAID 

Away up !N'orth in the frozen sea, where the boohy wal- 
rus breed, 

There lives a Maid, dressed all in white, who rides a 
snowy steed. 

Her eyes are blue and her tresses gold, she has cheeks 
of a crimson stain, 

On her head a helmet of dazzling hue, on her bosom a 
breastplate plain. 

Oh! hear the penguins laffin, saying, " Bafjfin! Baffin! 
Baffin!" 

Oh! Hear the penguins laffin, ichile the cutting bliz- 
zards sigh. 

Oh ! Hear the penguins laffin, saying, " Baffin! Baf- 
fin! Baffin!" 

The little penguins all hob low as the Misty Maid goes 
by. 

She's seen the trail of Nansen, and she's hovered o'er 
Peary's head. 

She's cried at the fate of Hudson, at the boat of a hun- 
dred dead. 

She's watched the fires of Davis, she's fastened the an- 
chors of Kane, 

And she's been near the tents of Franklin, by the icy 
wind-ripped lane. 

424 



ROBERT EDWIN PEARY 425 

Oh! hear the penguins laffin, saying, " Baffin! Baffin! 
Baffin!" 

Oh! Hear the penguins laffin, while the cutting bliz- 
zards sigh. 

Oh! Hear the penguins laffin, saying, " Baffin! Baf- 
fin! Baffin!" 

The little penguins all bob low as the Misty Maid goes 
by. 

Yes, the Maid is a Maid of sorrow, her cheeks with 

tears are dim; 
For the skeletons of a thousand men she's seen on the 

North Pole rim. 
As she prances on her snow white steed she beckons 

to stay away, 
For her home is a home of frozen death — yea ! pain 

and death alway. 

But hear the penguins laffin, saying, " Baffin! Baffin! 

Baffin!" 
The penguins still are laffin while the cutting blizzards 

sigh; 
You can hear them always laffin, saying, "Baffin! 

Baffin! Baffin! " 
The little penguins all bob low as the Misty Maid goes 

by. 

The Maid is a girl of sadness, and the Maid is a girl 

of woe, 
For she's Mistress of the Polar Sea, of the ice and the 

darkling floe; 



426 FAMOUS DISCOVERERS 

The Maid has seen the starving crew, she has viewed 

the drowning boat, 
And her eyes are dim, and her face is cold, for she 

hears the rattling throat. 

But hear the penguins laffin, saying, "Baffin! Baffin I 
Baffin!" 

You can always hear them laffi/n, while the cutting bliz- 
zards sigh. 

Oh! Hear the penguins laffin, saying, "Baffin! Baf- 
fin! Baffin!" 

The little penguins all hob low as the Misty Maid goes 
by. 

And the snowy owl, with his wintry cowl, sighs a song 

of bitter woe. 
While the narwhal swims, and the musk-ox grins, at the 

crushing ice-pack flow. 
For the great white bear sneaks to his lair, where the 

little seals are lying, 
And out of the mist, with the moonlight kissed, a great 

weird song comes sighing: 

Don't follow the Maid of the Northland ; dont gaze at 

her laughing eyes ; 
For the Maid knows naught but sorrow, and naught but 

the ice king's lies ; 
Dont look at the Maid of the Polar Seas, her wand is 

a witch's staff, 
Just stay away from the North Sea gray. Dont go 

where the penguins laugh! 



EPILOGUE 



EPILOGUE 

THE history of these adventurous men shows that 
the human mind, ever curious and ever anxious 
to discover new and unknown facts, will stimu- 
late the endeavors of staunch physical beings to do 
feats of daring and energy which those of more con- 
tented and passive mentality will never feel either 
willing or able to accomplish. 

Leif Ericson, Hudson, Pizarro, Peary, all were pro- 
pelled onward upon their missions of discovery and 
of adventure by that curious spark of daring and love 
of adventure which has stimulated a Roosevelt and a 
Dillon Wallace. 

It is the mind that drives onward the body ; it is the 
bump of curiosity which propels the adventurer to take 
the risks and the hazards which are necessary for ex- 
ploration of unmapped countries. 

Restless, dare-devilish souls will always exist, and, 
now that there are no parts of the North American con- 
tinent which are unkno\vn to the geographer and the 
man of scientific bent, those who are prompted onward 
by the spirit of hazardous adventure must search for 
the unknown in the unmapped and untouched regions 
of Africa or of South America. Here vast wilder- 
nesses call to those of adventurous blood to come and to 

admire; to struggle with the elements and to battle with 

429 



430 EPILOGUE 

the currents of their watercourses and the unmarked 
trails of their mountains. But no treasure of the Mon- 
tezumas, nor gold of the Incas, lie where the restless 
grasp of the invader can reach out and appropriate as 
in the days of the dauntless Cortes and the avaricious 
Pizarro. 

So, live on ! O Spirit of Adventure, without which 
there would be no sparkle to life, no zest to the journey 
into the wilderness, no tang to the canoe trip through 
the unknown chain of lakes, or the beaver-dammed 
water course. Live on ! and may you ever exist in the 
minds of young America, so that, when the great call 
shall go up for those of Viking soul and De Soto dar- 
ing to rise and press onward for the honor of the flag, 
there will be thousands of adventurers who have been 
trained to the hazard of the camp, the slap of the 
paddle, and the gleam of the rifle-barrel. 

They, like the intrepid Peary, will " nail the good, 
old flag " to the very ends of the earth, for it represents 
" liberty, equality, fraternity " — three glorious quali- 
ties for the maintenance of which every true-minded 
boy, when he grows to be a man, will be willing to give 
his time, his energy, and, if necessary — his life. 



THE END. 



Selections from 

The Page Company's 

Books for Young People 

THE BLUE BONNET SERIES 

Each large l:2mo, cloth decorative, illustrated, 

per volume ....... $1.50 

A TEXAS BLUE BONNET 

By Caroline E. Jacobs. 

" The book's heroine. Blue Bonnet, has the very finest 
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Inter-Ocean. 

BLUE BONNET'S RANCH PARTY 

By Caroline E. Jacobs and Edyth Ellerbeck Read. 
" A healthy, natural atmosphere breathes from every 
chapter." — Boston Transcript. 

BLUE BONNET IN BOSTON; 0», Boamino- 

School Days at Miss North's. 
By Caroline E. Jacobs and Lela Horn Richards. 
" It is bound to become popular because of its whole- 
someness and its many human touches." — Boston Olobe. 

BLUE BONNET KEEPS HOUSE; Or, The 

New Home in the East. 

By Caroline E. Jacobs and Lela Horn Richards. 
" It cannot fail to prove fascinating to girls in their 
teens." — New York Sun. 

BLUE BONNET — DEBUTANTE 

By Lela Horn Ruhakds. 

An interesting picture of the unfolding of life lor 
Blue Bonnet 
A— 1 



THE PAGE COMPANTS 



THE YOUNG PIONEER SERIES 

By Habrison Adams 

Each limo, doth decorative, illustrated, par 
volume $1.26 

THE PIONEER BOYS OF THE OHIO; Or, 

Clearing the Wilderness. 

" Such books as this are an admirable means of stimu- 
lating among the young Americans of to-day interest in 
the story of their pioneer ancestors and the early days of 
the Republic." — Boston Globe. 

THE PIONEER BOYS ON THE GREAT LAKES; 

Or, On the Trail of the Iroquois. 

" The recital of the daring deeds of the frontier is not 
only interesting but instructive as well and shows the 
fiterling t\'pe of character which these days of self-reliance 
and trial produced." — American Tourist, Chicago. 

THE PIONEER BOYS OF THE MISSISSIPPI; 

Ob, The Homestead in the Wilderxess. 
"The storj'^ is told with spirit, and is full of adven- 
ture." — New York Sun. 

THE PIONEER BOYS OF THE MISSOURI; 

Ob, In the Countby of the Sioux. 

" Vivid in style, vigorous in movement, full of dramatic 
situations, true to historic perspective, this story is a 
capital one for boys." — Watchman Examiner, New York 
City. 

THE PIONEER BOYS OF THE YELLOW- 

STONE; Or, Lost in the Land or Wondebs. 
" There is plenty of lively adventure and action and 
the story is well told." — Duliith Herald, Duluth, Minri. 

THE PIONEER BOYS OF THE COLUMBIA; 

Ob, In the Wildehxkss of the Ciiieat Xobthwest. 
" The story is full of spirited action and contains much 
valuable hietorical information." — Botton Htratd, 



BOOKS FOR YOUNG PEOPLE 



THE HADLEY HALL SERIES 

By Louise M. Breitenbach 
Bach large i2mo, cloth decorative, illicstrated, per 
volitme 91. M 

ALMA AT HADLEY HALL 

" The author is to be congratulated on having written 
such an appealing book for girls." — Detroit Free Press. 

ALMA'S SOPHOMORE YEAR 

"It cannot fail to appeal to the lorers of good thinga 
in girls' books." — Boston Herald. 

ALMA'S JUNIOR YEAR 

" The diverse characters in the boarding-school are 
strongly drawn, the incidents are well developed and the 
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ALMA'S SENIOR YEAR 

*' Incident abounds in all of Miss Breitenbach's atories 
and a healthy, natural atmosphere breathes from every 
chapter." — Boston Transcript. 



THE GIRLS OF 
FRIENDLY TERRACE SERIES 

By Harriet Lummis Smith 
MacA large limo, doth decorative, illualraUd, 
per volume fl.M 

THE GIRLS OF FRIENDLY TERRACE 

" A book sure to please girl readers, for the author seems 
(• understand perfectly the girl character." — Bo*iom 
ffUibe. 

PEGGY RAYMOND'S VACATION 

" It is a uholcaonie, hearty story." — Utioa 0b»arv4r* 

PEGGY RAYMOND'S SCHOOL DAYS 

The book is delightfully written, aod oootaina IcAa ol trmi^*ityg 
inddcoLs. 
.\— 3 



THB PAGE COMPANY'S 



FAMOUS LEADERS SERIES 

By Charles H. L. Johnston 
Each large 12mo, cloth decorative, iUustraied, per 
volume $150 

FAMOUS CAVALRY LEADERS 

" More of such books should be wTitten, booka that 
acquaint young readers with historical personages in a 
pleasant, informal way." — New York Sun. 

" It is a book that will stir the heart of every boy and 
will prove interesting as well to the adults." — Lawrenoe 
Daily World. 

FAMOUS INDIAN CHIEFS 

" Mr. Johnston has done faithful work in this volume, 
and his relation of battle*!, sieges and struggles of these 
famous Indians with the whites for the possession of 
America is a worthy addition to United States History." 
— New York Marine Journal. 

FAMOUS SCOUTS 

" It is the kind of a book that will have a great fascina- 
tion for boys and young men, and while it entertains them 
it will also present valuable information in regard to 
those who have left their impress upon the history of the 
country." — The New London Day. 

FAMOUS PRIVATEERSMEN AND ADVEN- 
TURERS OF THE SEA 

" The tales are more than merely interesting; they are 
entrancing, stirring the blood with thrilling force and 
bringing new zest to the never-ending interest in the 
dramas of the sea." — The Pittsburgh Post. 

FAMOUS FRONTIERSMEN AND HEROES 
OF THE BORDER 

This book is devoted to a description of the adventur- 
ous lives and stirring eiperiencea of many pioneer herow 
who were prominently identified with the opening of tb« 
Great West. 

" The accounts are not only authentic, but distinctly 
readable, making a book of wide appeal to all who lore 
the history of actual adventure." — CUi9^nd Ltader. 
A— 4 



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